WHERE IS SANT LLORENÇ LOCATED?

It is located in the Catalan region of Solsonès, in the province of Lleida, north of Solsona, in the valley of Lord, at the foot of the Port del Comt mountain range in SPAIN.

2hs by car from Barcelona

Cities nearby are Solsona and Berga.

INDEX:

• HISTORY
  • Average age
  • Modern age
  • Age contemporanea
• Places to visit
• How to go from Barcelona
• To do
• Where to stay

SANT LLORENÇ, HER STORY:

MIDDLE AGE:

It is believed that the first temple dedicated to San Lorenzo in this place was built around the year 885, in full repopulation of the territory held by Wilfred the Hairy. Taking advantage of the remains of the roman villa in Noves, who stayed a community of clerics mozarabs living under canonical rules visigothic.

The abbey of Sant Llorenç de la vall de Lord came to be known as Sant Llorenç de Morunys from the year 992. Thanks to the patronage of the counts of Urgell, was becoming the spiritual center of the valley the Lord of the x century.

At the same time, the Vall de Lord had, within its territory, three castles: the castle of The Pedra, Castelltort and the castle of Sisquer, castles that served as surveillance of these lands.

The 1019 he died the abbot Llobató and the bishop Ermengol of Urgellin accordance with the manor house, intervened in the appointment of a new abbot, from Sant Serni de Tavèrnoles, instead of the one that went on to rely on as a priory, and by adopting the Rule of St. Benedict they had to keep the members of the community, a change that was not completed until the 1025. In 1078 the monastery was united to that of Sant Andreu de Tresponts, and the following year the two colonies became dependent on Santa Maria de Ripollalthough the opposition of Tavèrnoles made Sant Llorenç continue under the tutelage of the latter. 

The years that followed were of prosperity, at the end of the THIRTEENTH century they began to occupy the outskirts of the monastery, which gave rise to the establishment of the village of the same name. giving origin to the town of Sant Llorenç de Morunys, officially founded on the 14th of may of 1297. The viscount of Cardona, Ramon Folc VI proposed that this town was fortified with a wall of pentagonal plan with a portal in each one of the angles, with the jurisdiction that is shared between Sant Llorenç and Cardona.

MODERN AGE

Joined Tavèrnoles the monastery of Sant Llorenç prospered thanks to the development of the population. In 1592 he finished the activity monastic regular, the house was secularised and members of the community were displaced to Santa Maria de Gerri (Pallars Sobirà). 

In 1593 the pope Clement VIII created diocese of Solsona and Sant Llorenç became a collegiate church and linked to the new mitra. 

From the THIRTEENTH century, and until the NINETEENTH century, and as the epicentre Sant Llorenç de Morunys, manufactured and marketed by the well-known drap piteu (cloth piteu), fleece fabric, which became the main source of income of the population / valley.

Already in the NINETEENTH century, the Vall de Lord it hosts various events of great historical echo:

As a result of the French War (1808-14), the village of Sant Llorenç de Morunys chose not to take the oath of the Constitution of 1812, which caused the burning in almost its entirety in 1823.

Only a few years later, in 1836, during the 1st Carlist War (1833-40), the Santuari de Lord convrtió in the epicenter of a war between the liberals and the carlists. The carlists set up in the sanctuary they were besieged by the liberals. The conflict had its end with the death of all the carlists and the total destruction of the Sanctuary

CONTEMPORARY AGE:

The economic and demographic revival of the 18th century made the growth of the city possible, favored the appearance of important sculpture and architecture workshops and allowed the construction of numerous civil and religious buildings, as well as the current cathedral.

During the 19th century the effects of the war of independence and the Carlist wars added to the economic crisis that represented the transfer of various industries to the Ter river basin. The city recovered thanks to the impulse of construction and the railway with the union with Barcelona in 1875. There was also a great cultural resurgence with the start-up of the Seminary that recovered the tradition of the old cathedral school of medieval times and of the Vich Literary University of the 17th century Students of the Seminary such as Jaime Balmes, Antonio María Claret or Jacinto Verdaguer They participated in the Círculo Literario or Esbart de Vich, helped with their work to give Vich an eminent role in the literary and political renaissance of Catalonia.

PLACES TO VISIT IN SANT LLORENÇ

By clicking on the red button you will be able to see the location of each place on google maps.

The old monastery has preserved his church, a building of the XI century, with three naves separated by pillars, and three apses. It is covered with a barrel vault in the central nave with cross vaults the side. The apse of the south was demolished with the purpose of raising the chapel of Mare de Déu dels Colls.

The bell tower is from the TWELFTH century, very modified. The cloister is situated to the south of the temple, it is a work of the SIXTEENTH century, is built over a cloister earlier, perhaps more simple. The entire set has been modified and restored in the course of the centuries.

HOW TO GET FROM BARCELONA TO SANT LLORENÇ DE MORUNYS

Well I must confess that go direct public transport is not easy. I took a bus with Alsa from Barcelona to Solsona (back and forth 35€), for a certain city, very cute that I could go a little bit. And there I took a remis expensive that 85€ led me and brought from Solsona to Sant Llorenç. I looked very seriously to rent a bike and spend a night in Sant Llorenç, a thing that I regret not having done it ha.

TOUR RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DO

In winter, Sant Llorenç is a good place to ski. In the fall, to gather mushrooms. And in the spring and summer months, to follow marked routes on foot, by mountain bike or off-road. The municipality is located at the foot of the sierra del Port del Comte and a good option is to enjoy the ski slopes of the same name.

One of those routes passed by the romanesque church of Santa Creu d'ollers and get to the port of la Creu, where there is a splendid panoramic view. Another leads up to the sierra del Verd, and a third takes us back to the grind of the Nord, a hill of rock conglomerate of more than a thousand meters which welcomes the visitor with a cannon that commemorates the first carlist wars (1833-1840), and that you have the sanctuary of the Lord at the top.

You can also enjoy your environment with activities and cycling routes, such as those offered by the center of the BIKE Solsonès – Vall de Lord.

They are famous sausages of Sant Llorenç, as well as bakery products, among which stand out the cakes, the cakes or the bullets of a blunderbuss, a large candy of almonds toasted in the oven.

WHERE TO STAY