Lleida is a historic city known for its two monumental cathedrals and the preserved Arab fortress Suda.
The city is located in the place where the Romans had their fort. After the Arab conquest, it became the provincial capital and was fortified. The remains of this stronghold is the Suda Fortress, which rises at the highest point of the city. Slightly below it stands the most important monument and attraction of Lleida, the La Seu Vella cathedral connected with the Seu Vella monastery. It was erected after the lands were recaptured from the hands of the Arabs. The cathedral represents a mixture of late Romanesque and early Gothic styles and is the most iconic structure in the city.
A New Cathedral was built in Lleida in the 18th century. it was a symbol of the power of the Bourbons and is distinguished by a monumental façade and a richly decorated interior. Next to the temple, you can see the late Gothic building of the Hospital of Our Lady from the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, which houses the cultural and scientific institute running the Numismatic Cabinet and an archaeological exhibition.
The buildings of the Old Town with numerous historic tenement houses and churches are located around both cathedrals, including the Paerii Palace from the 13th century, the churches of St. Lawrence and St. Mary, built in the Romanesque style and the Gothic chapel of St. James, which is located on the route of St. James to Santiago de Compostela.
