Manresa
Manresa is a municipality and a city of Catalonia, capital of the county of Bages and central Catalonia. It is located in the Pla de Bages, near the corner where the Llobregat and Cardener rivers converge. With a population of 76,250 inhabitants in 2018, it is the most populated city of Bages and Central Catalonia. It is 65 km north of Barcelona, and marks the boundary between the industrial area around Barcelona and the rural area of the north.
The city forms a very important communications hub, accentuated by the Llobregat axis and the transverse axis, between the mountains and the sea, between the interior plains of Urgell and La Segarra and the eastern regions of the country. Regarding the economy, Manresa stands out in the textile, chemical and machinery industry, although in the last decades it has replaced the industry by the commerce. The city also stands out because of its medieval complex, with bridges over the Cardener River and its Gothic cathedral. In addition, in this city there are also baroque-style churches, as well as interesting modernist buildings.
During the French war, the Manresa subject was defeated by the French troops at El Coll del Bruc (June 1808), although the French, already in retreat, burned and demolished much of the city. After the expulsion of the Napoleonic troops, the Manresans rebuilt the city from the debris.
Main travel sights, architecture and waht to do?
The history of Manresa is marked by the different periods that the city has experienced. A legacy that today is explained through several hidden corners of history, such as Modernist buildings, medieval streets and Baroque houses.
Among all the interesting heritage and tourist attractions that the city has to offer, we present you the most outstanding places and monuments.
La Seu de Manresa is the main Manresa monument
The gothic church that we can contemplate today was designed by Berenguer de Montagut, who also designed works as important as Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona. The architectural conception is characteristic of the Catalan Gothic: austerity in the decoration and predominance of the horizontal volumes, with a large nave width. The works began in 1325, but until the end of the 15th century the temple was not finished. The main façade is Neogothic, designed by Alexandre Soler i March and advised by Antoni Gaudí.