This Summer, Heritage: Concerts, Tours, and Culture in Central Catalonia's Most Iconic Venues

Concerts in human towers, dramatized museum visits, workshops among Romanesque altarpieces, and more. This Summer, Patrimoniea's program transforms the cultural heritage of Central Catalonia into a living, participatory setting during the months of August and September. This is an initiative of the Department of Culture that aims to offer artistic proposals and interesting thematic visits to exceptional spaces such as castles, monasteries, museums, and archaeological sites. The program offers a fun and different way to experience heritage, and many activities are free.

Cardona and Vic are the focal points in Central Catalonia of a program that seeks to surprise and seduce both the local public and incoming visitors. The full program can be consulted atagenda of activities of the Cultural Heritage portal of the GeneralitatThroughout Catalonia, more than 100 activities have been scheduled at 19 monuments managed by the Catalan Agency for Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with local social partners.

More than 100 activities to learn about Catalonia's heritage.

Music at Cardona Castle

Few things create a greater impact than a concert in an ancient setting. The imposing Castell de Cardona will host one of the most special moments of the summer on August 30th: the concert of the singer Mariona Escoda, winner of the popular contest EuphoriaThe performance is part of the Cicle Espais (Spaces Cycle), an initiative that brings contemporary artists to perform in charming heritage venues.

But this won't be the only musical offering in Cardona. On Monday, August 11, the Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç, considered one of the jewels of early Catalan Romanesque architecture, will host a new performance by Solsona International Music Academy FestivalAnother interesting option to get closer to Cardona's heritage is the visit "Orson Welles and Cardona Castle: A Movie-Like Visit", which covers the main locations of the film's shooting Bells at midnight from the American filmmaker.

Visits to the Episcopal Museum of Vic

Another key feature of this summer's cultural route is the Episcopal Museum of Vic, which offers an attractive program for all audiences. In addition to its impressive collection of medieval art, one of the most important in Europe, the museum offers guided themed tours on the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, dramatized visits for the little ones and even the family workshop"Gods, mummies and pharaohs" to decipher hieroglyphics and get closer to the enigmatic civilization of the pharaohs.

The museum will keep these proposals active until September. Still in the region of Osona, the monastery of San Pedro de Casserres offers us a trip to 16th-century Catalonia. Summer nights are the best of Catalonia, with the dramatized visit "Nights of Serrallonga".

Major festivals in heritage spaces

Throughout Catalonia, you can enjoy activities that open up the heritage to the public through artistic offerings and themed tours that show these spaces full of history and culture from different perspectives. In this sense, this summer, Patrimonieja is betting on major Catalan musical events. One of the most established is the Schubertiad, in the Alt Empordà, which will once again fill the Canonica de Santa María de Vilabertran with classical music from August 16th.

This year, the festival pays tribute to the centenary of the birth of baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose lineup includes Matthias Goerne, Florian Boesch, Andrè Schuen and Samuel Hasselhorn. A few kilometers away, there is another notable initiative: the San Pedro de Rodas Music Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary with the premiere of the work The crypt and an opera gala until August 30. Also in Empordà, the Portalblau Festival has scheduled six concerts during August in the Roman Forum of Empúries, with artists such as Pau Vallvé, Nora Baylach or the duo Cala Vento.

Further south, in this case in Camp de Tarragona, the Jordi Savall Festival, directed by the renowned performer and director who gives it its name. From August 11th to 17th, various venues along the Cistercian Route will be filled with music: the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus, Montblanc, Valls, and Alcover.

In addition to concerts, Catalonia's heritage sites offer a variety of activities for all ages, with a special focus on families. There are workshops, games, and treasure hunts at historic monuments such as the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus, Miravet Castle, and the Iberian city of Ullastret, as well as creative activities at the Girona Art Museum and the MAC Barcelona, for example.