Manresa is a city in the heart of Catalonia which has demography of just over 75,000 inhabitants and it also is the capital of Bages’ region, included in the Barcelona’s province.
Manresa is located 65 kilometers from Barcelona and it marks the border between the business setting of the south and the rural environment of the north. This city has been for long time an industrial area with textile, metallurgy and chemistry industries but nowadays Manresa has been turned into a leading city in tourism and trade.
On the other hand, this city has an interesting medieval history and architecture. Three roman bridges cross the river Cardener and the 14th-century basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu, the most important monument of Manresa, stands on a rock above the oldest bridge.
The church was designed by Berenguer de Montagut, who also designed Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, and the architectural style is characteristic of Catalan Gothic. The work began in 1325 B.C but the church was not finished until the end of the 15th century. The municipal museum is housed in the cloisters of the 17th-century church of Sant Ignasi. This church is part of the Sanctuary Cave of Saint Ignatius (in Catalan Cova de Sant Ignasi), built over a cave in which Saint Ignatius of Loyola is said to have prayed and meditated.
Finally, Manresa it is not only known for its baroque buildings but also its extensive production of wine in the area called “pla de Bages” and its gastronomy which one of the most typical meals is a Catalan soup called “escudella”.
