The Old Cathedral of Lleida (La Seu Vella)

The Seu Vella old cathedral, also known as “Lleida Castle”, is definitely the city’s most emblematic monument.

This unique cathedral sits on top of the hill overlooking the city and affords magnificent views of Lleida and the surrounding countryside of Segrià county. Construction of the cathedral began in 1203, but the bell tower was not completed until 1431.

The first master builder was Pere de Coma.

According to historians, the cathedral was built on top of a former Muslim mosque. The temple was the first building to be completed and was consecrated for worship in 1278 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

It has a Latin cross floor plan with a nave and two aisles. The outstanding features of the interior include the stonework in the naves, which show the influence of the artisans from Tuscany, Toulouse and Provence who worked on the cathedral throughout the 13th century, as well as the remains of Gothic mural paintings.

After the consecration of the temple, work continued into the 14th century, when the cloister was completed and construction work began on the bell tower and lasted until 1431.

The entrance to the Seu Vella is through the Canonja, the name given to the set of buildings that housed the priests and canons who made up the Chapter at the cathedral.

These buildings date from the second half of the 12th century to the 16th century, and include the remains of the old church of Santa Maria l’Antiga, different chapels, the Pia Almoïna (canon’s house), the Chapter room, the archive, and the Decanóa or Vault House.

Besides the current entrance doorway in La Canonja, there are other doorways of great cultural interest, such as the Anunciata doorway (13th century), the “Fillols” doorway (13th-14th centuries), the Sant Berenguer doorway (12th century), and the Apostles’ doorway (14th- 15th centuries), as well as the three doors from the cloister (13th century), which provide a clear example of the style of architectural sculpture known as the Lleida School.

The oldest bells are from the 15th century: They are called Silvestra, which rings on the hours, and Mònica, which rings on the quarter hours. The other five are electric bells from the mid-20th century that have an essentially liturgical function. They are called Bàrbara, Puríssima, Crist, Marieta and Meuca.

This 14th-century rectangular cloister is a unique, open cloister, located on the west side of the cathedral. It has a gallery with five ogival arches and elegant tracery windows that provide breathtaking views of the city and the countryside beyond.