Lleida capital city

Despite its many charms and attractions, Lleida (el Segrià – Spain) remains a relatively unknown city. Visitors interested in history and art are sure to find an interesting variety of buildings that show how different cultures have left their mark on the city. These include Roman and Medieval ruins and much more recent constructions, such as La Paeria, El Palau de la Diputació. Other interesting structures include numerous Catalan Modernist (Art Nouveau) buildings, the new Enric Granados Municipal Auditorium and the old cathedral (known locally as La Seu Vella). La Seu Vella is an exceptional Romanesque-Gothic style building that towers over the city from its position on top of the hill of the same name and the Templar Castle of Gardeny

There are also a number of interesting parks: La Mitjana an area of parkland running along the banks of the river Segre, which offers various leisure facilities, the romantic Camps Elisis park... The irrigated area around the city also offers pleasant rural settings that are simply ideal for bicycle rides. 

Those who like to have fun and enjoy a good time will not be disappointed in Lleida, as this is a lively city both during the day and at night and one that offers an interesting range of traditional festivals and celebrations. Important local events include: Les Festes de Maig,or May festival; the Moros i Cristians, festival, in which battles between Moors and Christians are re-enacted; the Fira de Titelles, a puppet festival; the one and only Aplec del Caragol, which attracts thousands of local people and visitors who share an interest in eating snails and partying; and the Festes de Tardor, or Autumn Festival, which has a more cultural focus. Neither should we forget a number of other important festivities, including Carnival, Easter and La Processió dels Fanalets de Sant Jaume (a lantern procession).

It is impossible to complete this summary without mentioning the Monumental Route, the many museums in the city: the Jaume Morera Art Museum and Diocese and Local District Museum of Lleida. The amount of drama and cinema on offer of the city is quite remarkable, with the Mostra de Cinema Llatinoamericà de Lleida, which is usually held in January, Lleida puppet Theatre Festival, Conference and Congress of Lleida - La Llotja providing a good example of what is available. 

On the subject of reasons for visiting Lleida (el Segrià – Spain), visitors are also reminded of the city’s many interesting and attractive shops.

 

La Paeria

Contact information:

 

 

La Paeria

Turisme de Lleida - C/ Major 31, bis - Lleida
25007, Lleida
Web: www.turismedelleida.com
Email: infoturisme@paeria.es
973 70 03 19

 

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  • In 1961, the Ajuntament de Lleida (Lleida City Council - Spain) began renovation work on the cellars of La Paeria (the City Hall building) by conducting excavation work in conjunction with the Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs (Institute of Lleida Studies). This was the first archaeological work undertaken in the city. In 1981, what was then known as the Estudi General de Lleida, but subsequently became the Universitat de Lleida, continued with this excavation work. The last of this work was carried out in 1997 and was undertaken by the Secció d’Arqueologia de l’Ajuntament (Archaeological Section of the City Council), which had been created in 1992. 

    The documented archaeological remains lie under the present Plaça Paeria (Paeria Square) and in the cellars of the former Palau dels Sanaüja (Sanaüja Palace). They are very significant as they are located to the south-west of what is presently known as the Roman city.

    During the period of the Roman Republic, this area may have corresponded to a rather marginal part of the city. This could have been a consequence of the presence of the river and of the steeply sloping sides of the central hill in this area. Excavation work has produced constant discoveries amongst materials dating from the 1st century BCE that fell down the hill slope or were found in river sediments.

    In the Augustan period a building with a rectangular floor plan was constructed, which extended out beneath the present Plaça Paeria. The foundations of this building have been conserved to this day. The building was constructed using large blocks of sandstone, 1.50 m long and 50 cm wide. Of this construction, there still remain five rows of blocks that were laid directly on top of the gravel that had formed the bed of the old course of the river. The typology of the adornments and the exceptional nature of the site chosen, lead experts to believe that this was no ordinary construction, but rather a large building that probably had some connection with the course of the river itself. However, the continuous overflowing of the river must have damaged the building’s structure, making it impossible to finish the original project.

    Construction work seems to have then resumed, with building continuing on top of the old structures and a significant quantity of river deposits – that were probably laid down in the 4th century CE – until at least the middle of the 5th century CE.