Mare de Déu del Claustre

Patrona de Solsona (Lleida)

In a chapel of the Cathedral of Solsona, the Mare de Déu del Claittre, jewel of the Catalan Romanesque carved in stone, patron of the city since the 17th century, is venerated.

Origin and history

The image is a 12th century stone Roman sculpture, attributed to the sculptor Gilabert de Tolosa, considered one of the most significant pieces of the Catalan Romanesque. It is venerated in a chapel of Solsona Cathedral. The tradition places its finding in the "pou del clautre," where it would have been hidden and discovered later; in the 13th century it would have been hidden again for fear of the conflicts of the time.

The City Council appointed her as patron of Solsona in 1653, because of the belief that she had delivered the city from the plague. Its party is held on 8 and 9 September, within the Major Festa of Solsona, with a strong folklore and protocolary component. In 1936 the image was again in danger and was later restored.

Canonical coronation: not found in the sources.