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This photograph for La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos is captured from the bell tower of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria in the middle of the Cervera festival.
From the top of the church, one of the jewels of Gothic architecture in Catalonia, you not only dominate the layout of this town in La Segarra, but you can also feel the pulse of its people at the time of the festival in the square.
The temple, built between the 14th and 15th centuries, is an important exponent of Catalan Gothic, although it retains elements of the Romanesque of its origins. And the Gothic church was built on the old original Romanesque building.
The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria de Cervera is considered an Asset of Cultural Interest and was declared a Historical-Artistic Monument.
The bell tower stands out, precisely. It is of the same style as that of La Seu de Lleida. It contains six bells, each with a name and sound different from the rest.
The oldest bell, the Seny Major, is located on the same line as the clock, which is itself considered a magnificent piece of monumental clockwork.
The main altar is presided over by the Romanesque sculpture of the Verge bruna of the Coll de les Savines, patron saint of the city, made of wood during the 13th century. In addition, it is worth noting that the altarpiece dedicated to Sant Llorenç, the only one that did not disappear during the Civil War period.
