In Bages, in central Catalonia, five Romanesque buildings offer a practical route for anyone interested in local heritage, according to Regió 7. Several are easy to combine in one trip, and most can be visited at a modest cost.
Start in Cardona with the Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç, one of the area’s best-known Romanesque landmarks. Construction began in 1019 under Viscount Bermon and the church was consecrated in 1040. Its central nave, three semicircular apses and crypt are among the main features, and the site has also hosted concerts, recordings by Jordi Savall and filming for Orson Welles’ Chimes at Midnight. Entry costs €6, with discounts and free admission available, according to Regió 7.
In Sant Fruitós de Bages, near Navarcles, Sant Benet de Bages combines Romanesque remains with later Baroque and Modernist elements. Founded in the mid-10th century by Sal·la and Ricarda, the Benedictine abbey was later acquired by Elisa Carbó i Ferrer in 1907. After major renovation in the early 21st century, it now operates as Món Sant Benet, a centre for leisure and knowledge focused on heritage, history and gastronomy. The 12th-century church has a Latin cross plan, a single nave with a barrel vault, and a cloister with 64 original capitals.
Manresa’s La Seu Basilica is mainly Gothic, but it keeps important Romanesque remains. These include the tympanum of the main door, a window and the cloister. The first place of worship on the site dates to the late 9th century, and the perimeter of that earlier church became the base for the later Gothic temple designed by Berenguer de Montagut in the 14th century. Visitors can also see the Gothic nave and art pieces, including altarpieces and a Florentine altarpiece currently on temporary display at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
At Santa Cecília de Montserrat, Romanesque architecture sits alongside abstract art. The church was restored about a decade ago and now includes works by Irish artist Sean Scully. The building preserves 11th-century reforms and later changes, including three Lombard apses and three interior naves, set within a natural mountain landscape.
The list ends in Castellnou de Bages, where the Church of Sant Andreu dates from the 11th century. It has three naves, with the central nave the tallest, barrel vaults, apses and absidioles topped with quarter-sphere vaults, and well-preserved interiors and exteriors. Visitors can also pair the stop with the Maquis Museum. For more local news and heritage coverage, see news.
