Old Cathedral of Lleida

La Seu Vella.
The cloister.

The Cathedral of St. Mary of la Seu Vella (Catalan and Spanish: Catedral de Santa Maria de la Seu Vella, English: St. Mary of the Old —Bishop— Seat) is the former cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lleida, in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain, located on top of Lleida hill.

In 1707, the Gothic cathedral was turned into a military citadel by decision of King Philip V of Spain. The new cathedral, known as the Seu Nova (New See) and located downhill at Carrer Major, was consecrated in 1781.[1]

Nevertheless, the Seu Vella is the defining monument of Lleida, the symbol of the city, being visible from its hilltop site anywhere in the city.

  1. ^ La Catedral nueva de Lleida Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)