Interior view

The first buildings in the new Romanesque style were constructed in the Catalonian region on both sides of the Pyrenees. This region had been independent since 865 and was ruled by the counts of Barcelona.

Throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Catalonian architecture on both sides of the Pyrenees remained largely faithful to the models, exemplified by the church at Ripoll, it had found at the beginning of the eleventh century. This is demonstrated by the church of Serrabone (completed in 1151) on the French side, and more impressively in the rebuilding of the cathedral of La Seu d'Urgell (begun in 1175) on the Spanish side.

In the cathedral of La Seu d'Urgell the mighty nave flanked by very wide side aisles leads to projecting transepts. Each arm has two small apses cut into its eastern wall. Further extensions of the transepts, maintaining their overall width, provide a massive tower on each side. The church therefore has an east wall whose continuity is broken only by the apse, creating a monumental effect.

The photo shows a view from the east.

View the ground plan of the Cathedral of La Seu d'Urgell.