The municipality of Cervera is the capital of the Segarra region and is located in the province of Lleida . Its beginnings as a population date back to the 6th century BC , although the documentation that exists in this regard dates from the 11th century AD.
Its old structure had to be closed, using the outer walls of the houses as a city wall. Strolling through the streets of Sabater (Zapatero) and de les Bruixes (de las Brujas), we can see the remains of this curious structure.
Places of interest
The University of Cervera – It is one of the most important buildings of the 18th century in Catalonia, built from a decree of Felipe V, in 1717. Its structure is neoclassical although baroque in many decorative elements.
Sant Antoni Church – Although the current building is neoclassical, you can see remains of the old buildings from their medieval origin. It was conceived as a hospital in the 13th century to cure fire disease, a disease caused by a fungus in bread.
The Berenguer de Castelltort hospital – It dates from the same time as the university and the similarities between both are evidenced, mainly, in the pilgrims’ cloister.
Walls – Until the 14th century, the same houses that only had doors in inner streets, closed the city. Later, during the reign of Pere el Cerimoniós (Pedro the Ceremonious), the walls that still surround the city on the eastern side were raised.
Calle Mayor – Preserves some of the porches or arches that start from the Plaza Mayor .
Sant Agustí Church – Located on the main street, it stands out for a magnificent rose window that presides over the façade, fundamentally Gothic in structure, despite having been rebuilt.
Casa Johan – Across the same street, this 16th century house stands out, with a magnificent portal, windows with heraldic symbols and, under the wing of the roof, an interesting porch of the attic of the house.
Architectural complex of the Society of Jesus – Headquarters of the old church of Sant Bernat, where the Catalan Courts met, in the years 1358 and 1359 , to agree on the creation of the Generalitat de Catalunya and where the marriage pacts between Fernando de Aragon and Isabel de Castilla . Inside it is preserved the cell of the philosopher Jaume Balmes with his bedroom, the library of the time, a small oratory and the Processional Cross of Sant Nicolau, a masterpiece of Catalan goldsmithing.
La Paeria or town hall – It dates back to the 18th century and stands out significantly for the corbels located under the balconies that represent the market, the bodily senses and the prison. Inside it preserves an ice well from the 16th-17th centuries, the Gothic chapel of Santa Agueda, the hall of the kings and the rococo-style session hall.
Church of Santa Maria – In Catalan Gothic style, the church preserves the Romanesque images of the Virgin and Child.
The Cervera Coven
In addition to standing out for its remarkable architectural heritage, Cervera has been celebrating the famous Coven on the last weekend of August for more than thirty years. In this celebration of historical connotations, its centuries-old streets are filled with shows, music, magic and esotericism so that visitors can enjoy three days of fun with nights full of mystery.