From the Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí, to the Cistercian monastery of Poblet, at the foot of the Prades mountains, passing by the imposing baroque façade of the Girona cathedral and the spiritual lighthouse of Lleida, the Seu Vella bell tower. These are some of the stops of the cultural project L’Estiu és Diví, promoted by Catalonia Sacra, an entity linked to the Church whose purpose is to disseminate the wide and vast heritage of Catalan religious roots.
The art historian and museologist Damià Amorós is the one who has shaped a trip that allows the visitor to learn some of the secrets of the cathedrals, monasteries, churches, convents or basilicas that exist in Catalonia. A tour with 56 stops, which is complemented by readings linked to each place proposed by the bookstore Marta Simon. A “different” way of discovering religious heritage, according to the coordinator of Catalonia Sacra, Dani Font.
Each of the seven trips in which this initiative is divided is thematic. In Girona, Amorós highlights two large constructions “of medieval style that breathe baroque” such as the collegiate church of Sant Feliu and the imposing cathedral of Girona. The only nave of the Headquarters stands out, which at 22.98 meters is the widest in the world after that of the Basilica of Sant Pedro del Vaticano. Known as the cathedral of Empordà, the basilica of Santa Maria de Castelló d’Empúries or the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll, with its extraordinary Romanesque portal, are other places of interest on the route.
From Camp de Tarragona, Amorós plays with the Costa Daurada brand to highlight the “golden” Gothic of the basilica of Santa Maria de Montblanc, the church of Sant Joan de Valls, whose 74-meter bell tower is the highest in Catalonia, and the monastery de Poblet, considered one of the most important monastic complexes in Europe. In Terres de l’Ebre, the route stops at those religious constructions separated by the Sènia river, belonging to the bishopric of Tortosa. “The river is not a border, you have to free yourself from these mental limits, but rather a point of union,” explains Amorós. From the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Tortosa, to the church of Sant Lluc de Ulldecona passing through the basilica of Santa Maria de Morella, considered by some historians as one of the most beautiful Valencian Gothic churches or the church of Santa Maria de Peñíscola.
From Central Catalonia, the rich representation of churches dedicated to the Marian cult stands out: from the Basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu de Manresa to the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Solsona passing through the sanctuary of the Virgin of Bellmunt, among others. In the Barcelona area, the tour focuses on a dozen monasteries, convents and basilicas, places of prayer, such as the Sagrada Família, Antoni Gaudí’s great unfinished work; the monastery of Sant Cugat, the old monasteries of Sant Pau del Camp and Pere de les Puel·les or the basilica of Santa Maria del Pi.
In the Pyrenees, one of the places with the greatest concentration of Romanesque temples, you should see the group of churches in the Vall de Boí, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or those in the Àneu valley, without forgetting the cathedral of the Seu d Urgell, the only one that preserves the Romanesque building in its entirety. Finally, in Lleida, on the edge of La Seu Vella, the proposal of Estiu es Díví includes the church of Santa Maria del Alba de Tàrrega, witness to the classicist baroque, or that of Santa Maria de Cervera.
