Vic Medival Town Centre Walking Guide

About Vic Medieval Town Centre Walking Route

• Casa Comella: In 1869 the demolition of the medival walls of Vic began opening a space for Josep Comella Colom to comission a stately home in 1896 from Cayetano Buigas (also built the Columbus Monument) The Comellas were a rich family of textile industrialists, owners of the Comella Soler company, whose factory in Vic was popularly known as Can Mastrot.
• plaça Major: The Mercadal (Market Square), is where the weekly market is held every Tuesday and Saturday from 08h till 14h (the market is cleared away by 16h). This market has been held here since the 9th century before the medieval houses that frame the present-day square were built. The market has stalls selling fruit and vegetables, meats, flowers, crafts, clothes and accessories. In one corner of the square you will find El Merma capgrosso statue.
• Casa Costa: in plaça Major was built between 1905 and 1907 by arquitect Josep Illa after demolishing the old building of the General or Governor's house, from 1683. Sculptures of the working class, on the façade and above the windows.
• Ayuntamiento: The town hall building in the corner of plaça Major with the clock tower dates from the late 14th century. This building also houses the Vic tourism office. Originally, the building was Edifici de la Llotja, the wheat exchange where grain was weighed and fish and meat was traded. The upper floor was used for town council meetings. In Vic tourist office you can see the three capgrossos statues used in parades.
• Casa Cortada: A typical Baroque manor house dating from 16th century. An austere appearane on the outside conceals lavish decoration. The building to this day contains murials by Francesc Pla (1743-1805) that are in a good state of preservation.
• Seminary & Sant Just Church: Some well know students were Jaime Balmes (philosopher), Jacint Verdaguer (Poet) and Sant Antoni Maria Claret.
• Casa Galadies: Casa Galadies Manor house located in calle de la Riera dating from the 12th to 13th century. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) the house was bombed.
• Plaça Gaudí & La vella més vella statue: La Vella is one of the three capgrossos (large head figuerine used in Catalan parades) from Vic's Festa Major. The three capgrossos are the emblems of one of the gangs in Vigata (poverty). This bronze figure statue was created in 2014 holding hurriaques - which were used to scare away the bulls during the parades. The plaque carries the phrase The oldest old woman of all the old women in the city. It is the work of Manel Casserras i Solé.
• Hospital de la Santa Creu: Hospitals were built outside of the city walls but near to a city gate during Medieval times. The hospital was built 1539 to 1536 from the assets and will of Ramon de Terrades who ceded his wealth to the town of Vic upon his death for the construction of a hospital for travellers, children and the sick.
• Church and Convent of Sant Domènec: Convent until 1567 when it became home to Dominican friars. In 1835 it was turned into an alms-house (house founded by charity offering accommodation for poor people). Today it houses the Vic Art and design College.
• House of the Claretinian Misionaries & Sant Antoni Maria Claret church: Built by the architect Jose Maria Ribas in 1970 in the style of Roman Baroque. The tomb, made by the sculptor Domènec Fita is located in the crypt.
• Casa del Baró de la Blava: Stately building in the Baroque style from the 18th Century. Note the beam head on the corner with the sculpted male figure sticking out his tongue.
• Bishop Oliba: Contemporary statue. Bishop Oliba (971-1046) was born into a family of Catalan counts and before becoming bishop of Vic, he was the abbot of the Monasteries of Santa Maria de Ripoll and San Miguel de Cuixá. He founded the Santa María de Montserrat monastery.
• Episcopal Museum Vic (MEV): Museum of Religious artefacts distributed over 4 floors of space that includes paintings, sculptures, jewelry and iron work.
• Vic Cathedral: The current cathedral dates from the 18th century with 14th century gothic cloisters and a bell tower from the time of Bishop Oliba in the 11th century.
• Casa Ricart: 19th Century Modernist house today used for private events.
• Queralt Bridge: Also known as the Sant Francesc Bridge or Calla Bridge crosses the river Mèder and dates from the 11th century. It was a toll bridge into the town of Vic for travellers arriving from the north on the old Camí Ral. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), just before Franco's troops occupied the city of Vic on 1st February 1939, the Bridge of Queralt was dynamited by the Republican troops to slow down the entry of Franco's troops into the city of Vic. The northernmost arch of the Queralt Bridge was destroyed and rebuilt after the Spanish Civil War.
• Tannery Buildings: Currently being resoted and turned into museum space. They can be seen from the bank of the river Mèder next to Queralt Bridge. Historically, Leather production was the main industry in Vic.
• Els Dolors Church: Single nave church built between 1724 and 1725 by architect Josep Morató. The façade has a rose window above the main door. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the church was burnt down ans subsequently restored. A Baroque altarpiece can be seen as well as the image of the Virgin of Sorrows, the work of the sculptor Vicenç i Antoni Real i Vernis.
• El Call (Jewish Quarter): Vic did not have a large jewish community but there was a school and Synagogue.
• La Pietat Church: An important Square in the midle ages because it marked the Dividing line between the part of the town under episcopal control and the part that the counts controlled. The square also contanded the castle occupied by the Montcada Family. From the 10th century the square hosted a market but the square has since bene occupied by the current 17th century church.
• Roman Temple and Montcada Castle remains: The only surviving building from Roman times.
• Casa Masferrer: Also known as Puigsec is a modernist style end of 19th century building with tower. From calle del Pare Xifré you can see magnificent windows with beautiful stained glass. Círculo Literario, the first modern literary center in Vic was founded in 1860. This was a literary association where poet Jacint Verdaguer and Jaume Collell met. This was a centre of the Renaissance movement outside of Barcelona. From Plaça de Don Miquel de Clariana you can see atop a high wall, four sculptures that symbolise the four seasons of the year, one for each of the four Masferrer brothers. Currently, the building houses the City Hall of Vic.
• :Wilfred, Count of Urgel fortified Vic in the 9th Century with the Castle and city walls that included seven gates. This wall was later upgraded in the 12th century by king Pere II d'Aragó to include 40 towers. The wal has since been demolished or incorporated into buildings except for a remaining section in Montcada Street.
• Church & Convent of Santa Teresa: Founded in the mid 17th Century and is an active convent to this day.
• Carrer de Dues Soles Baroque manor houses: 17th and 18th century stately homes.
• L' Estudiant de Vic: Statue inaugurated in 1978 by sculptor Joan Seguranes comemorating Vic's place for higher learning dating back to the middle ages, the Seminary in the 18th and 19th century and Vic University today.
• Casa Bojons: Baroque house that contains the room where Jaime Balmes (1810-1848) died. It is now a small museum dedicated to his life and work.
• Plaça del Canonge Collell: In the shopping District of Vic town centre.
• Casa del Veguer Sala i Saçala: Residence of the shepherd Sala i Saçala, hero who fought against the French in the Vic plains, at the end of the 17th century. The oldest part, which may be earlier than the 15th century is the ground floor and the two large crown windows on the first floor. The other windows, with moldings on the lintel, are later, probably from the 16th century.
• Religioses Sacramentaries Adoratrius: Convent built at the end of the 19th Century and active to this day.
• Sant Felip church: baroque church dating from 1725 with a bust of St. Philip Neri above the door.
• Homenatge al Carquinyoli: Statue by Eudald Alabau Selva from 2007. Symbolic character, the Carquinyoli, to celebrate the festivities of Sant Albert de Sicília in Carrer de Gurb, in the month of August. Figure that emerged around the year 1800 in memory of the fact that the residents of Carrer de Gurb in a time of plague were saved thanks to the devotion to Saint Albert.
• Vic Leather Arts Museum: Houses the collection of Andreu Colomer Mommany (Owner, Vic leather factory) & is comprised of artefacts gathered from his travels.

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