of Saint Ignatius

The Manresa
of Saint
Ignatius
Saint Ignatius legacy
from th 16th to the 21st century
The Manresa of
Saint Ignatius
Legend
Church, chapel, sanctuary...
Taking pictures inside allowed
Museum
Contact
Monument of interest
Wheelchair accessible
Natural region
Accés amb transport públic
Outdoors visit
Entrance fee
Only guided visit *
Timetable
*More information at the Manresa
Tourist Office (pag. 24)
Visites concertades*
The monumental Cave’s assembly façade, at the south
access to Manresa, is the first
step to present the importance of the Jesuits in town. Furthermore, the creations of some contemporary artists show
the influence of Saint Ignatius
as a source of inspiration.
Index
The Manresa of Saint Ignatius
The Manresa that welcomed Saint Ignatius
Loyola in the 16th century
The Saint Ignatius’ legacy in Manresa
Map
Tourist Information
Page 3
Page 6
Page 14
Page 22
Page 24
Manresa wants to bring to
light the presence of Saint
Ignatius Loyola in the town
and to show how the subsequent establishment of the
Society of Jesus, followers of
Saint Ignatius, has influenced so much in the architecture and the urban landscape as in the economic, social
and spiritual life of the town.
Saint Ignatius Loyola lived in Manresa during eleven months, from March
1.522 until February 1.523.
Nevertheless, the mystical
experiences he went through
in this town, helped him to
consolidate the spiritual
transformation began in Loyola, when he decided to
abandon his military past in
order to follow a meditation
and contemplative life. As he
explains in his autobiography,
Saint Ignatius had mystical
experiences and spiritual abductions that were vital for
his main written work: the
Spiritual Exercises.
The Manresa of the 16th
century welcomed friendly
the pilgrim, who arrived
from a stay in Montserrat.
Several local families welcomed him and helped him
every time he was sick. Saint
Ignatius found several places
to pray and also to enjoy the
solitude and the seclusion
3
Detall de l’escultura d’alabastre
de Joan Grau a l’interior de la Cova.
into the nature, which made
it possible for him to arrive at
the spiritual peace he was
seeking.
Nowadays, Saint Ignatius’
heritage is not only present
by the Jesuitical architecture, but also by cultural
works of contemporary artists that have been inspired by him. Talking about architecture, it is necessary to
distinguish between the buildings that were designed in
memory of the pilgrim and
those that formed part of the
medieval Manresa, which
captivated Saint Ignatius.
Moreover, in July, the
celebration of Saint Ignatius festivity in Sobrerroca
Street is an example of how
the town maintains his
memories alive. Indeed,
during these days, people
organize different activities in
order to commemorate the
presence of the pilgrim in the
town and also to stimulate
shopping in the old town.
Another aspect that shows
the importance of Saint Ignatius for Manresa is the
nomenclature of some urban
elements: A Street, a square,
a torrent and a school carry
his name.
4
At the same time, the
importance of Saint Ignatius has made it possible
for Manresa to give name to
several religious publications (Cardoner and Manresa) and to more than fifty
houses of spirituality
around the world. Saint
Ignatius figure promotes
Manresa around the world.
The guide you are holding
shows how the figure of Saint
Ignatius still continues being
linked to the town. The story
line starts at the Gothic Manresa, the one that Saint Ignatius encountered during his
stay and afterward; it
explains how the Saint’s
influence has been materializing in Manresa from the
Baroque epoch until the 21st
century.
This guide, therefore,
intends to help you to discover the spaces where he once
lived, the churches, the chapels, the hermits and the
crosses where he stopped to
pray and the spaces of seclusion and of reflection. In
addition, it shows the works
that have transformed the
town after Saint Ignatius arrival and how the influence of
the Jesuit community contri-
buted to create the present
Manresa. The town, which is
raised monumental alongside the Cardener River, has
some unique and exceptional
places where one can recall
the presence of Saint Ignatius.
The information that contains this guide allows visitors to see the places, whether separated or in a tour to
visit the most significant
Ignatian spaces. It is a passionate guide through the
Saint Ignatius’ path in the
town.
«Outstanding
and unique places in which
Saint Ignatius
presence can be
recall»
«Saint Ignatius’ figure has promoted
Manresa around the world»
5
The Manresa that welcomed Saint
Igantius de Loyola in the 16th century
Un dels espais de veneració
d'Ignasi, la creu del Tort.
6
The Manresa that welcomed
Saint Ignatius de Loyola in
the 16th century
Ignatius Loyola, son of a
noble family, was born in the
small Basque town of Azpeitia in 1491. After being injured in the battle in defence
of the city of Pamplona in
1521, the noble gentleman
decided to abandon this
way of life and to journey to
Holy Land in search of the
spirituality. He walked
towards Catalan lands in
order to embark from the
port of Barcelona. However,
before setting sail, he stopped in the Sanctuary of
Montserrat, where he received the first spiritual accompaniment that postponed his
pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Manresa was the nearest
town to Montserrat from
where he could continue his
spiritual accompaniment.
Nevertheless, Saint Ignatius
remained captivated by this
town and the moment of
splendour that it was experiencing: at the beginning of
the 14th century, the growth
of the population and of the
number of guilds allowed
Manresa to increase the productivity and to develop its
commerce. As a result, Manresa was being recovered of
the 15th century demographic and economic crisis.
During his stay in Manresa, Saint Ignatius came
across the amiability of its
inhabitants, its outskirts
natural environment and the
narrow alleys inside its walls.
An urban complex born
during the medieval splendour epoch, formed by dark,
irregular and badly aired
alleys but full of popular
expressions and religious
beliefs, represented by vaulted niches, crosses and small
chapels disseminated by the
town; besides of the churches and the basilica of La
Seu.
In many of these places
Saint Ignatius used to pray
and in some of them he
experienced mysteries and
revelations, as the transcriptions of that time witnesses
explain. In fact, the Saint
wrote in his autobiography
that it was by the Cardener
riverside where he got the
divine revelation, known as
the Outstanding Illumination
of the Cardener, which inspired him to write the Spiritual
Exercises. This fact, as it will
be seen further on, has inspired many contemporary
artists that have wanted to
experience the search of the
essence of the spiritual life.
Saint Ignatius used to live
like a poor pilgrim, admitted
in hospitals or private residences, eating just a little
and practicing the fast. He
had neglected its aspect to
such an extent that he was
popularly known in Manresa
as the sack man, because he
wore a tunic of very simple
cloth. He used to take care of
the sick and to feed to the
poor, in addition to pilgrimaging in around the town.
These habits, along with the
mystical episodes that he
experienced, caused him a
deep spiritual transformation
that inspired his Spiritual
Exercises.
At present, you can still
visit great part of the places where Saint Ignatius
stayed; considered as cultural heritage of Manresa
town due to their symbolism
and antiquity. In some cases,
these buildings have been
changing as the Society of
Jesus, religious order foun-
ded by Saint Ignatius, went
acquiring recognition, as is
the case of the Sanctuary of
the Cave. However, other places have not been preserved.
Some of them were knocked
down during the Spanish civil
war (1936-1939) and others
like the Saint Lucia’s hospital
or the Convent’s church of
Pares Predicadors (Dominican Friars) have been transformed through the years.
«A medieval urban complex born
during a splendorous epoch»
7
The Manresa that wecomed Saint
Igantius Loyola in the 16th centry
1
Cross and Chapel
of Our Lady of
Guidance
The Cross and the Chapel of
Our Lady of Guidance were situated next to the Pont Vell
(Old Bridge), just next to the
track that leads to Montserrat.
The devotees used to pray to
Our Lady of Guidance before
starting their journey, because
she is the Virgin patroness of
the messengers. It is believed
that at his arrival to this chapel, Saint Ignatius had an apparition of the Virgin, who encouraged him to continue the
penitence. During his stay in
Manresa, the cross was a place of his devotion
2
The Pont Vell (Old
Bridge)
This is a medieval bridge from
the 12th or 13th centuries that
crosses the Cardener River in
Detall de la torre de Sobrerroca.
8
The chapel of the Guia was dismantled in 1856 and transferred some
meters away, due to the construction of the railroad from Barcelona
to Saragossa.
its entrance to the city. It was
through this bridge that Saint
Ignatius arrived to Manresa.
During the Spanish civil war,
part from the bridge was knocked down and it was not reconstructed until the 1960’s.
3
Saint Lucia’s Hospital
The Saint Lucia’s Hospital
was known as the hospital of
the poor or inferius. It was
the first place where Saint Ignatius stayed, when he arrived from Montserrat. The
Saint was fed among the poor and helped the hospital
mistress to take care of the
sick people, because he was
In the lower part of a pillar from the
Pont Vell (Old Bridge), some engraved crosses can be seen. According
to the local lore, Saint Ignatius was
the author of these crosses.
putting into practice the vows
of poverty and help to one’s
neighbour (basis of the Jesuit
order).
A local lore tells that Saint
Ignatius, while singing the
evening prayer in the hospital’s chapel, suffered a spiritual
abduction that left him
motionless on the ground, for
eight days and eight nights. It
seems that it was during this
time when he received the
guidelines for creating the
Society of Jesus.
Canyelles lent Saint Ignatius
the ground floor of the 25th
Sobrerroca Street, during
April 1522.
In a corner of the Sobrerroca Street stands one of
the two towers that used to
flank the old entrance to the
medieval town. This was one
of the eight entrances of the
medieval wall and it was
used as a checkpoint and for
permitting the entrance and
exit from the town.
5
Torre de Sobrerroca
The tower has a square base and was
built between the 13th and 14th centuries. It has recently been restored
and it can be acceded (arranging a
guided visit).
Amigant House
6
The Saint Lucia’s Hospital was demolished during the Spanish civil
war and at present only the Rapte
Chapel recalls this miracle. It conserves the old Gothic entry and a
sculpture of Saint Ignatius lying,
which was already being venerated
before the Spanish civil war.
4
Carrer i torre de
Sobrerroca
This medieval Street was the
place where many noble and
well-to-do families used to live. The venerable Miquel
The Amigant were a well-todo family from which there
exist documents since the
15th century. This family
used to take in ill people and
to look after them in another
house, called “hospitalet” (little hospital). When Saint Ignatius got ill, he was twice received by the Amigant; since
the matriarch of the family
Àngela Seguí, used to attend
the spiritual exercises Saint
Ignatius led.
Convent of Pares
Predicadors (Dominican Friars)
This convent was located in the
current Sant Domenec Square,
in the town centre. Saint Ignatius was received by the Dominican friars and stayed with
them during some days.
The convent disappeared in 1936,
during the Spanish civil war. The old
buttresses and other par ts of the
cloister can still be seen in the current Conservatori Theater.
In 1703 the “hospitalet” became a
Chapel and the place for worship
was rehabilitated, and it started be
called Chapel of Saint Ignatius ill.
Inside the Chapel there is an oil
paint painting showing the Amigant
family caring for the Saint.
9
This Gothic church called el
Carme was one of the favourite places of Saint Ignatius.
8
The Misteriosa Llum
The Manresa lore tells that on 21st February 1.345 a beam of light coming
from Montserrat illuminated the church
of El Carme. This miraculous event served to put an end to the lawsuit between the Bishop of Vic and the town of
Manresa, due to the construction of the
Sèquia channel.This channel, which was
intended to alleviate the hard drought
that Manresa was suffering at that time,
should trespass some of the Bishop’s
lands. However he was so opposed that
he even excommunicated the town.
After the apparition of the mysterious
light, the bishop permitted the works to
continue and the channel final brought
water to the town. Nowadays, this legendary episode is celebrated every year,
during the closest weekend to the 21st
February, with a great popular festival
and a medieval fair called Fira de l'Aixada (Hoe fair).
7
Church of
El Carme
During the 14th century, the
Carmelite fathers built a
church on the highest hill of
the town: the Puig Mercadal.
Saint Mark’s
Chapel
Saint Ignatius used to pray
into this small 15th century
chapel and there he had a
spiritual vision, according to
some witnesses. The chapel,
which belonged to the tanners’ guild, has a shield of
Manresa carved in the upper
part.
The church of El Carme was destroyed during the Spanish civil war and
subsequently reconstructed in a Neogothic style, preserve some fragment of the neoclassical cloister
that substituted that of Gothic style
(in the current Puigmercadal Square). During the demolitions was discovered, under the returns of the cover, pieces of ceramics decorated
with green and manganese. This
find is the various and most extensive assembly of this type of medieval
ceramics that has been found in Catalonia, and is conserved in the Regional Museum of Manresa.
9
La Coveta
The bed of the river Cardener
is characterized for having
natural rock caverns excavated by the wind force and the
rain, which were used as
shelters for hermits during
the 16th century. Moreover,
in one of these caverns Saint
Ignatius took shelter in order
to pray and it was there where he began to write the Spiritual Exercises.
At the end of the 16th century this
space began to be venerated and
started to have a constant growth.
During more than four centuries this
natural space was transformed and
it became a monumental assembly
of Baroque and modernist ornaments. (More information on page
20)
10
The Manresa that wecomed
Saint Igantius Loyola in the 16th centry
10
Basilica of Santa
Maria de la Seu
The Gothic Basilica of Santa
Maria de la Seu, built on the
top of the Puig Cardener, is
the most important church of
the town. It conserves some
parts of the former Romanesque church, like parts of the
old entry and the cloister. Berenguer de Montagut, which
directed the construction of
the Basilica also directed the
construction of the Santa Maria del Mar, in Barcelona.
Works began in 1328 and
concluded in 1488, 34 years
before Saint Ignatius arrival.
The tower and the west facade
were built after that. The basilica has a single plant of 30
meters (94.8 feet) height and
18 metres (59.06 feet) wide.
So, it is the second widest cathedral of Europe after the cathedral of Girona and one of
the best examples of this artistic period. Santa Maria de la
Seu was built thanks to the
contributions of the guilds, the
faithful, the Town Council and
also the economic effort of the
inhabitants of Manresa. The
basilica of La Seu became an
example of the Manresa golden epoch: an economic prosperity epoch that turned the
town into one of the most important of Catalonia.
Basilica of Sta. Maria de la Seu
Hours: from Monday to Friday
from 9:30am to 13:30pm and from
16pm to 19:45pm
Weekends and bank holidays from
9:30am to 14pm and from 17pm to
20pm
(+34) 93 872 15 12
under request
La Seu Museum: Sundays from
10am to 14pm (other days booking
in advance) Not accessible with wheelchair.
In the interior, the lateral chapels
were decorated with rich Gothic altarpieces. At present, the four altarpieces found in its interior form the
most extensive collection of Gothic
altarpieces conserved in an only
church of Catalonia. These are the altarpiece of the Holy Spirit (by Pere
Serra in 1394), the altarpiece of
Saint Mark (by Arnau Bassa in the
mid 14th century), the altarpiece of
Saint Nicholas and Saint Michael (by
Jaume Cabrera in the 15th century)
and the altarpiece of the Holy Trinity
(by Antoni Marquès).
11
11
Saint Clare’s
Convent
Saint Ignatius used to stop
by this medieval convent, occupied by a community of
Saint Clare’s nuns, when he
was going to Viladordis. According to the local lore Saint
Ignatius used to sit at the
Romanesque entrance and
listen to the nuns songs while
he was leading to Viladordis.
llowed the land orography.
The Balç Street is a unique
space, composed by a structure of arcade galleries,
which connect with different
houses. In its interior old entries, wine cellars, a well and
some constructions put on
the top can still be found. All
these elements form a dark
and enclosed alley surrounded by a true medieval atmosphere.
13
During the 17th century, cloistered
Dominican nuns used to run this
convent and at the beginning of the
20th century, the local architect Alexandre Soler i March designed a
new structure at the west facade, in
a Modernist style.
12
Balç Street
The Balç Street is a good
example of the medieval urban complex, formed by
dark, irregular, narrow and
badly aired alleys, which fo12
The Tort’s cross
and the Tort’s
countryhouse
The Tort’s cross (Leaning’s
cross) is situated next to the
countryhouse that has the same name, close to the Royal road that led to Barcelona
through the village of El Pont de
Vilomara.The 14th century cross
was a point of devotion for St.
Ignatius and a place where he
had some sacred revelations,
according to some witnesses.
When Saint Ignatius left Manresa, he
abandoned his “escudella” (a bowl
made out of olive-tree wood) in this
countryhouse. The family that lived at
the Tort’s house preserved the bowl
until the summer of 2008, when they
donate it to the Jesuits of the Cave.
At present, the Balç Street is under
construction, because it will be an
Interpretation Centre of the medieval town.
14
The Culla cross
Saint Ignatius stopped to
pray at this cross, which
stands next to La Culla farm,
formerly surrounded by cropland.
At present, the farm is the seat of
the Supervisory Council for the Protected Designation of Origin “Pla de
Bages”; and it is also used as a learning field for environmental values.
15
La Salut’s Sanctuary of Viladordis
The Santa Maria de la Salut’s
sanctuary was one of the churches outside the walls most visited by Saint Ignatius. Built in
The Manresa that wecomed
Saint Igantius Loyola in the 16th centry
the 10th century, this church
turned a thousand-year-old in
1983 and some years after, its
bell tower was restored. Some
excavations were carried out in
the 70’s and several burials of
medieval epoch were found
out in front of the church. The
earliest of those burials was
from the 9th century. Some
sarcophagi can be seen at the
sanctuary’s garden.
Viladordis
During the 16th century, Viladordis
was an independent village formed by
several detached countryhouses and a
Romanesque church surrounded by
cropland and woodland. Nowadays, as
it did at Saint Ignatius’ time, one of
the branches of the Sèquia Channel
still flows through Viladordis.
La Salut’s Sanctuary
From 8am to 20pm
A new rectory house was built next to
the church in 1878. That new threefloor house covered the facade of the
earlier rectory.
Saint Ignatius used to pray knelt
down on the Sanctuary’s threshold
stone, which is nowadays preserved
inside the church and has an inscription that reminds it.
16
Les Marcetes
countryhouse
This medieval countryhouse is
500 meters (546.8 yd.) far
from La Salut’s Sanctuary.. The
owners of Les Marcetes were
the attendants of the sanctuary and, according to the lore, they used to give charity to
Saint Ignatius. He thanked
them with a piece of his belt
(a cord of hemp), which was
turned into a relic inside a silver sculpture. It disappeared
during the Civil War.
17
Saint Paul’s Chapel
Situated out of Manresa
walls and close to the Cardener River, Saint Paul’s chapel
was a Cistercian Prior linked
to the Poblet Monastery. The
Prior was the one in charge
of Saint Lucia’s Hospital and
he established a bond with
Saint Ignatius.
In 1700, the Poblet abbot sold this
chapel to the Jesuits of Manresa,
who rebuilt and restored it.
Paisatge de l’entorn rural de Viladordis.
13
Saint Ignatius’ legacy in Manresa
La creu en record de Beuys mostra
l’impacte de sant Ignasi en els artistes contemporanis.
14
Once he left Manresa, in February 1523, Saint Ignatius
went towards Rome, passed
by Venice, Cyprus, and he finally arrived at Jerusalem,
where he remained little time.
Next, he returned to Barcelona, to start studying the Ministry. He continued his studies in Alcalá de Henares,
where the Inquisition, in
1526, imprisoned him. Afterward, he continued studying
in Salamanca and lastly, in
Paris, after suffering another
prosecution in Spain. He was
ordained priest and transferred to Rome in 1537 and in
1540 the foundation of his
new religious order, the Society of Jesus, was approved.
The bases of this new
order were written by Saint
Ignatius and, at first, they
were preaching, living in
poverty and doing charity
deeds. Subsequently, teaching was also added up as
one of the fundamental tasks
of the Society of Jesus.
Saint Ignatius Loyola passed away in 1556; he was
beatified in 1609 and only
thirteen years after, he was
canonized. This process reveals the continuous increase
of the faithful and followers,
which began the pilgrimage
to the places in which Saint
Ignatius had been inspired.
So, a lot of pilgrims came to
the town of Manresa.
This proliferation of the
faithful, along with the Town
Council’s will of establishing
Jesuits in Manresa and founding a school, turned into the
creation of a Jesuit community in the town. The Manresa
people honoured and mythicized his memories and
popular devotion to Saint
Ignatius was increased. The
facts and mysteries that
surrounded him were recalled
and enlarged by new ones,
such as the miracle of the
Well of the Hen.
The establishment of the
Society of Jesus in Manresa
marked significantly the
development of the town.
Some buildings were progressively built which dignified
the natural cave where Saint
Ignatius began to write the
Spiritual Exercises.
Those buildings were delicately decorated, according to
the artistic styles of every
moment. However, this process kept subject to the
expulsions and misfortunes
that the Society of Jesus suf-
fered, due to religious and
political reasons. As a result,
works were carried out at a
low pace.
This new architectural
assembly, known as the
Cave, in addition to the
existent basilica of la Seu
and the Pont Vell (Old Bridge) beautified the monumental facade of the town
entrance. This facade has
become a symbol of the
21st century Manresa.
Apart from these major
changes, Manresa also faced
an urban development with a
peak on the construction of
various Baroque stately houses. The well-to-do families,
many of whom had grown rich
with the silk industry that was
exported to Europe and America, financially supported
these mansion houses. The
influence of Saint Ignatius in
Manresa grew so important
that even at present, 21st
century artists still get inspired by him and some of them
have created several works to
recall the Saint.
All such works, not only
the modern ones but also
the Baroque ones, are illustrated in the second part of
this guide. So, we invite you
to discover all the spaces
that have maintained Saint
Ignatius’ 16th century legacy
until our days.
Vitralls del 1909 del taller de H. J. Maumeijean de Barcelona.
Detall de la façana barroca
de la Cova.
15
Saint Ignatius’ legacy in Manresa
18
Montserrat
Montserrat is a unique mountain in the world not only due
to its geological forms, but also due to the rich architectural, sculptural and cultural heritage that possess. The
Benedictine monastery, which
has been standing on the top
of the mountain from almost
a millennium, witnessed Saint
Ignatius Loyola arrival on the
24th March 1522. It was there where the Saint exchanged
his clothes with a poor man
and abandoned his sword,
symbolizing the abandonment
of his former military life.
For that reason, Montserrat
recalls Saint Ignatius with a
sculpture located in the atrium
of the basilica. Next to this
sculpture, made by Rafael
Solanic in 1956, there is an
inscription which recalls the
evening that the Saint spent in
front of the Montserrat Mother
of God. A round black marble
slab, situated near the sculpture, marks the place where
the altar of the ancient Romanesque church was located.
One of the lateral chapels
of the basilica is also dedicated to Saint Ignatius Loyola.
It was built in 1893 by Francesc Rogent and a Neoroma16
nesque triptych composes it.
Besides, exhibited in a showcase, you can find a facsimile of the sword that Saint
Ignatius left in the sanctuary.
19
The Manresa Town
Hall and Plaça
Major Square
The current Plaça Major was
built in the 18th century. It
was previously formed by
two small squares: the Ciutat
square and the Especiers
square; both separated by a
block of houses. Taking advantage of the demolitions of
1713, due to the War of the
Spanish Succession, the
square was expanded to satisfy the popular tradition of
celebrating festivals in the
street. The current Manresa
Town Hall was also made at
that time, by Joan Garrido. It
has a similar structure to a
great Baroque stately house,
with some Gothic influence
at the arched entrance.
made in 1671 by the sculptor Joan Grau.
21
The sanctuary of Montserrat
Montserrat Museum
working days and bank holidays
from 10 am to 17:45 pm and from July to September the 15th from 10 am to 19 pm
At the sanctuary of Montserrat,
Audiovisual Room «Montserrat Portes
you can visit the Benedictine ba- Endins»
silica and listen to the choir of
the Escolania during the liturgy. It
working days and bank holidays from
is also possible to visit the Mont- 9am to 18pm and from July to September the
serrat Museum, which contains 15th from 9am to 19:45pm
important archaeological and Per a més informació:
painting collections (Egyptian objects, Baroque pieces, Modernist
(+34) 93 877 77 01
designs…) as well as the new auhttp://www.montserratvisita.com
diovisual room "Montserrat portes endins", which shows life in [email protected]
the interior of the monastery.
20
Law Courts
The Law Courts were built on
the formerly House of Commons seat (the old Town
Hall). The construction began
on the second half of the
17th century with the idea of
replacing the ancient Town
Hall, but finally it became the
Law Courts seat and a jail.
It is believed that the late
Renaissance style and Baroque facade were inspired on
the Generalitat de Catalunya
Palace, due to the disposition of the windows and the
central niche. The Town coat
of arms of the entry arch was
The well of the
hen
According to a local lore, the
well of Sobrerroca Street experienced a miraculous episode in 1602. A mistreated
fourteen-year-old girl was keeping her stepmother’s hen
while the animal suddenly
ran away and felt into this
well. The hen drowned and
the girl was so frightened of
her stepmother’s reaction
that began to pray to Saint
Ignatius. Finally, the hen came out of the well alive.
During the 18th century
there was built an adjacent
chapel, which has an altarpiece that shows this episode. In addition, believers
continued recalling the miracle for many years and drinking the holy water from the
well.
17
22
Old Saint
Ignatius’ School
The old Saint Ignatius’ School
was founded on 1625 thanks
to private donations and also
Museu Comarcal de Manresa
Fridays and Saturdays from 10am
to 2pm and 5 to 8pm. Sundays and
public holidays from 10am to 2pm.
Other days under request. Closed: January 1st, Good Friday, May 1st, December 25th and 26th
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(+34) 93 874 11 55
[email protected]
http://www.museudemanresa.cat
The museum exhibition rooms contain
a very important selection of Baroque
altarpieces painted during the 17th
and the 18th century. Those altarpieces were designed after the Council of
Trent (1545-1563), which requested
every parish church to renew the liturgical elements, according to the new
criteria.
This provoked an altarpiece demand
raise and subsequently, an increase
on the number of workshops and the
foundation of the Manresa Baroque
Workshop. Among the most important
names, there were the Grau, Sunyer
and Padró families.
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to Town Council, which transferred Saint Lucia’s Hospital
to the Jesuits. So, this building then became the second School run by Jesuits in
Catalonia, just after the Betlem School in Barcelona.
The school was enlarged
in 1750 and was renewed in
19th century, with a central
squared patio with a cloister,
connects to every wing of the
building. The Society of Jesus
directed the school until
1892. Since then, the Town
Hall has been in charge of it.
In 1901 the building became the School of Arts and
Crafts seat and along the 20th
century, the building has been
used as military barracks,
laboratory and library.
The Historical Archive and
the Museu Comarcal de
Manresa were installed the in
the first and second floors, in
1941. Later, in 2002, the
ground floor became the seat
of the Manresa Tourist Office.
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Baroque stately
houses
Manresa conserves several
Baroque stately houses built
by the well-to-do families during the 18th century. Their owners used to be people, which
had become filthy rich thanks
to the manufactures and the
incomes of the land renting.
These stately houses can be
easily identified by their large
entrances for the cavalries,
their great central patio with a
staircase leading to the first
floor and to the other two floors, as well as their symmetrically distributed windows and
balconies in the poorly decorated facade. However their interiors usually were finely decorated with moldings and
Baroque paintings.
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The Beuys cross
The German artist Joseph
Beuys is an example of the
inspiring capacity of Saint Ignatius legacy. Joseph Beuys visited the Cave in 1966 and
Saint Ignatius became a model for his creations. As a result, once in Düsseldorf, he
performed the action Manresa, which symbolized his
Saint Ignatius’ legacy in Manresa
Light well
The Baroque stately houses
Ca l’Asols: This stately house was built in
1789 and restored in 2007. It still presents the ornaments of the main façade.
Ca l’Oller: It is situated at the Plana de
l’Om Square and it has a central patio
covered with a dome with a lattice,
which were also restored in 2007.
Casa Suanya: This mansion house was
constructed in 1774 and recently restored. It has an enlarged first floor.
Casa Torres Argullol: In the inscription
over its main balcony it can be read
that it was built in 1773. Its interior
was decorated with mural painting during the 20th century.
Casa dels escultors Grau: This stately
house was probably the Grau family
home, as well as their important Baroque sculpture workshop. Nowadays it
is the seat of the Plana de l’Om exhibition room an auditorium, promoted
by the Caixa de Manresa Foundation.
mystical contact with Saint Ignatius after having visited
Manresa. As a reminder of this
action, the Caixa Manresa
Foundation promoted the exhibition Manresa Hbf in 1994.
This exhibition was complemented by the official placement of the Beuys Cross, ma25 by the Danish artists H.
de
Christiansen and B. Norgäard.
The Chilean artist Fernando
Prats continued the artistic experience initiated by Beuys
with the project From the Cardener to the Antarctica (20012004). Prats sought to transport the essence the
spirituality from the Cardener
River (where Saint Ignatius experienced the Outstanding
Illumination) to the Antarctica.
Thus, he wrapped the interior
of the Cave with paper and tape to capture the scent of the
Saint. Subsequently, he transported the wrapping to the Antarctica and he buried it under
the ice. At the same time, a
15-meter (49.21 feet) deep
well was excavated on at a
bank of the Cardener River.
The well represented the will to
arrive at the origin of every inspiration. As a memorial of that
performance, there is a spiral
shaped monument with an
Fotografia de Rocco Ricci
inscription
of 117 celebrity na26
mes of different times. All these celebrities have gone
through mystical experiences
at some point of their life.
La Cova
The architectural assembly of
the Cave is a unique example
of the combination of Jesuitical architecture and Catalan
Baroque art. Complementing
this artistic high value, the assembly has a great symbolic
load for the Jesuits, since the
Cave is the place of conception of their founder ideas.
This place was venerated
and considered a sacred
space for the Saint’s devotes,
since the 16th century. Earlier, a cross and a doorway
were placed in the cave and
afterwards, in 1603, a small
chapel was built. Little by little, the number of visitors
was enlarging and during
more than four centuries they
went dignifying the space,
constructing new buildings.
The Exercises House is the
place where pilgrims from all
over the world stay. They rest
there, meditate and practice
the Spiritual Exercises. Besides, it is the permanent
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La Cova de sant Ignasi
Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to
13pm Evenings from March to October
from 16pm to 19pm and from November
to February from 15pm to 18pm. Sundays and precept from 10am to midday.
Under request
(+34) 93 875 15 79
[email protected]
www.covamanresa.cat
Exercises house
La coveta (The Cave)
The cave is the most important space for Jesuits.
It is decorated with 17th and 18th century works.
In the centre there is an altarpiece with an alabaster relief, made by Joan Grau, which shows Saint
Ignatius writing the Spiritual Exercises in Manresa.
This finely decoration is accompanied by eight alabaster medallion, made by Josep Sunyer in 1720,
which show episodes of Saint Ignatius’ life.
Baroque facade of the Exercises House
This facade shows a clear example of Baroque
style’s sense of the theatre. It was conceived as a
wrapper of an empty space, in which subsequently
they were built the church and the Cave’s Hall. It is
structured in three levels: a simple basement, a
central body jointed with ionic pillars, framed windows and a semi roof with zoomorphic and vegetable figures, plus an upper body with elliptic portholes and angels playing. Built during the 17th
century, it is uncertain that its authors were Joan
Grau and Francesc Grau, or else Josep Sunyer.
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Saint Ignatius’ legacy in Manresa
Avantcova (Cave’s Hall)
Until the 18th century this was a space dedicated to the worship, but the construction of the church consigned it to be the access to the Cave.The painter and
Jesuit Martín Coronas, who managed the modernist style, with a certain eclecticism and horror vacui, since every single piece of the floor, walls or ceiling is decorated, ornamented it between 1915 and 1922. This ornamentation has a
communicative purpose because it is the space that prepares the visitor to enter
the most spiritual place of the building.This idea is also given by the iconography
of the walls: The stained-glass large windows, the mosaics arranged like windows
and the six medallions situated between each large window, which explain life
episodes of Saint Ignatius. In addition, there are mosaics on the floor, which show
the Saint’s coat of arms and the weapons he used to carry when he was a soldier.
Interior
The church, which was built between
1750 and 1763, is the final component
of the sanctuary and the conclusion of
an old desire of transforming the cave
into an internationally known sanctuary.
The church has a single plant and lateral
chapels connected by an upper platform
with a lattice. It was not decorated until
mid 19th century, due to the expulsions
that the Jesuits suffered.
At the lateral chapels there are carved
sculptures of saints, which belonged to
the Society of Jesus. The image of the
Immaculate Conception Madonna dominates the high altar, while the Most Holy
Trinity is situated on top of her, and statues of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis
Xavier can be found at each side.
Church facade
This facade is an outstanding example of Jesuit architecture and Catalan Baroque. Its
sculptures suggest movement that and the
decoration is arranged like in a Baroque altarpiece. At the central part, there is niche
framed by Corinthian columns, which contains a sculpture of Saint Ignatius holding a
quill and the Spiritual Exercises book. The
oval rose window situated over the Saint
symbolizes represents the divine illumination.
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1
Manresa Tourist Office
R
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24
2
Map
15 16 1 Cross and Chapel of the
Guia Mother of God’s
2 Pont Vell (Old Bridge)
3 Saint Lucia’s Hospital and
Rapte chapel
AS
I
5 Amigant House
8 Saint Mark’s Chapel
9 La Coveta (The Cave)
10 Basilica of la Seu
11 Saint Clare’s Convent
13 Tort’s cross and Tort’s
CO
VA
GE
.
Manresa City Council
21 The well of the hen
22 Saint Ignatius’ Old School
23 Baroque stately houses
A Ca l’Asols B Ca l’Oller C Casa Suanya
D Casa Torres Argullol E Casa dels escultors Grau
25 Light well
26 The Cave assembly
countryhouse
PT
18 Montserrat
24 Beuys cross
12 Balç Street
9
16 Les Marcetes countryhouse
20 Law Courts
7 Church of El Carme
ER
RR
CA
ladordis
19 Plaça Major Square and
6 Convent of Els Pares
Predicadors
INS
TX
PU
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15 La Salut’s sanctuary and Vi-
17 Saint Paul’s Chapel
4 Sobrerroca Street
PARC DE ST. IGNASI
PISCINES MUNICIPALS
14 The Culla’s cross
Helpful phone numbers
Renfe
(+34) 902 240 202
Ferrocarrils Catalans
(+34) 93 877 06 06
Bus Station
(+34) 902 02 60 28
Ràdio Taxi Manresa
(+34) 93 874 40 00
Del Carme Youth Hostel
(+34) 93 875 03 96
Museu Comarcal de Manresa (+34) 93 874 11 55
CA
RR
ER
NO
Museu de la Tècnica de Man. (+34) 93 877 22 31
UD
ES
AN
Basílica de la Seu
(+34) 93 872 15 12
TA
CL
ARSantuari de la Cova
(+34) 93 875 15 79
A
Ajuntament de Manresa
(+34) 93 878 23 01
13
11
EL
RC
BA
Hospital de Sant Joan de Déu
ON
A
25
14
17
23
Office hours
Monday to Friday from 9am to 14pm
Saturdays from 10am to 14pm and from
17pm to 20pm. Sundays and bank holidays from 10am to 14pm. From 1st July to
15th September: It is also open form Tuesday to Friday from 17pm to 20pm
(+34) 93 878 40 90
www.manresaturisme.cat
Guided visits
A part from the signalized paths, which can
be followed without any guide, the Manresa
Tourist Office also offers to visitors a wide
range of guided tours, which should be booked in a from Monday to Sunday under request.
At present, the following visits can be done:
- Discover the Manresa of Saint Ignatius at
the 21st century
- Medieval Manresa
- The Baroque Splendour
- The Modernist Manresa
- Discovering Manresa
- The Monumental Manresa
- Tour at your wish
Adreça
Manresa Tourist Office
Via de Sant Ignasi, 40, baixos
08241 Manresa
For further information visit:
www.manresaturisme.cat
Cova
Sant Ignasi
Disseny gràfic i producció: Asterisc Comunicació Gràfica (www.asterisc.cat)
Manreas Tourist Office