Lérida - Old Cathedral

(Local Name: Seo Antigua / La Seu Vella) Within the walls of the castle stands the Old Cathedral, which dates from the 13th Century but was not completed until the 16th. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque: hence the position of the cloister on the west end of the cathedral, like the forecourt of a mosque. The cloister is the most striking feature of the cathedral, with its high traceried windows (offering fine views of the town), its finely carved capitals depicting fabulous beasts, intertwining plants and scenes from everyday life and the tall octagonal bell-tower (1416) at its northwest corner. The sculptural decoration of the church and the beautiful doorways shows the same consummate skill as the carving of the capitals. Particularly fine is the Porta dels Fillols in the south aisle - an outstanding example of the sculpture of the Lérida school which also shows Mozarabic influence.