Manresa is inevitably associated with the stunning image of the Collegiate Basilica of Santa Maria at the top of the Puigcardener hill. Popularly known as La Seu, it is considered
one of the main Catalan Gothic buildings.
Its elevated location was, successively, the site of an Iberian settlement, a Roman fortress and a Romanesque church. The construction of the current building began in 1322 under the direction of the same architect as that of
Santa Maria del Mar, Berenguer de Montagut, and was completed at the end of the 15th century with the Gothic as the predominant style. However, after later alterations, we also find Baroque Renaissance elements or even neo-Gothic, as in the façade of the Baptistery.
The most notable elements of La Seu are the impressive
rose window of the western façade, the
bell tower and the
crypt with a large marble tabernacle and eight Baroque medallions. Laterally, it has two protruding towers: one, the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament; and the other the Baptistery, with an octagonal plan.
Inside, its pictorial collection stands out, notable among which is the
altarpiece of the Holy Spirit by Pere Serra, one of the most important works of Catalan painting of the 14th century.
Over the main façade of the building is the
Historical Museum of La Seu, opened in 1934, which exhibits a large display of works of sacred art.