Attractions and Places To See around Sant Joan De Vilatorrada - Top 20

The church sits majestically on the rock, towering over the city of Manresa. With a little imagination, one could imagine the church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary as a patron saint—and given the papal honorary title of basilica—as a heavenly crown, majestically proclaiming the praises of God on earth.

The Old Bridge of Manresa (Pont Vell) is one of the city's most emblematic monuments and forms part of its most distinctive skyline, along with the Basilica of La Seu and the Cave of Saint Ignatius. Of Roman origin, the current structure is a faithful reconstruction of a 12th-century medieval bridge. It was destroyed in 1939 during the Civil War and rebuilt between 1960 and 1962 by architect J. Pons Sorolla.

The Cathedral of Manresa, officially known as the Basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu, is one of the most emblematic monuments of Catalan Gothic architecture and a historical and spiritual symbol of the city of Manresa, in the heart of Catalonia. Its origins date back to the 9th century, when the first place of worship was built on Puigcardener hill, the site of the city's founding. In the 12th century, a Romanesque church was erected, of which elements such as the tympanum of the doorway, a window, and the cloister are still preserved. Over the centuries, Baroque elements (such as the bell tower and the crypt in the 18th century) and Neo-Gothic elements (such as the façade and the baptistery in the 20th century) were added. The basilica has survived wars and losses of heritage, but continues to bear witness to the history of Manresa.

Pont Vell de Manresa, crosses the Cardener river and connects the old Abrera road and Rodalies station with the Santuari de Sant Ignasi and the Old quarter.

Collbaix is a 543 meter peak, located in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada. It is the highest in the district of Manresa, to the west of Pla de Bages, which has an excellent observation point. It is listed as a large park by the Planning Plan of Manresa. The mountain is located between the streams of Rajadell and Fonollosa. The south side belongs to Manresa, the east to Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, where the town's expansion area is located. Rajadell has the area of Punta Sabata and Fonollosa with most of the summit, the west and the obac slope. Collbaix originated from the erosion of the surrounding land. A resistant layer of conglomerates protects the flat top from erosion, forming a plateau. The summit is made up of large blocks of stone separated from each other. At the top we can find a geodesic vertex (reference 280109001) A metal table with an engraved map of the region. This peak is included in the list of the 100 peaks of the FEEC.

The tubs are constructions that have very similar characteristics. Its exterior plan can be quadrangular or circular, but the interior structure is basically the same. The lower part of it is made with stone and mortar. The interior is usually circular, and is covered with varnished ceramic pieces. Then, as an extension of the tub, some dry stone walls were built that gave its square or circular outer structure, where an opening was built. The roof is usually formed by a conical vault of dry stone covered with earth to make it waterproof. The vat usually has an upper access from where the must was poured once pressed, and at the bottom were the spouts through which it was emptied. Sometimes they have an attached hut that closes the access to the tub from the bottom and can also be used to store tools. In the area of Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and Sant Martí de Torruella some tubs are preserved as isolated architectural elements, in some cases it is simply the tub without any other element in the middle of a field. On other occasions it is a group of tubs (three or four) to which a hut has been added at the foot of each tub.

This 26-kilometre-long ditch that carries water to Manresa was built in the 14th century by the master Guillem Catà. Its construction was highly problematic, as the Bishop of Vic opposed its construction because it passed through the bishopric's land and threatened its promoters with excommunication. The bishop died before the works were finished and even so he really excommunicated the workers and the councilors of Manresa, in addition to interrupting the practice of the sacraments throughout the city. The bishop's successor maintained a more dialogue attitude, accepting the compensation offered by the city. However, legend has it that divine intervention became necessary, in the form of a mysterious light from Montserrat that entered through the stained glass windows of the Carmen church, at the same time that the bells began to ring by themselves. The bishop, seeing this phenomenon, regretted his position, but died shortly after, and his successor did not take long to reverse the situation and lift the excommunication.

The Collegiate Basilica of Santa Maria de la Aurora, better known as La Seu de Manresa, is an impressive Gothic church situated on a promontory overlooking the Cardener River. Construction of the basilica began in the 14th century on the foundations of a Romanesque church, of which a portal on the north façade is still preserved.