Updated: 04/17/2023
Turó de la Seu Vella s/n
25002 - Apt. 1013
Lleida
Lleida
Contact
Maria Domènech Nadal
Tècnica del Departament d’Audiovisuals – Regidoria Ciutat i Cultura
(+34) 973 700 393 · ext. 1753
In a spectacular setting in the heart of the city of Lleida stands the monumental complex of the hill of the Seu Vella. It is comprised of different buildings: the Seu Vella or old cathedral, the Castle of the King or Suda, the military fortification that surrounds the site and various archaeological remains that help us understand the present.
Located on the top of the hill, the Castle of the King is its guardian and sentry. It is popularly known as the Suda, an Arabic word which means a closed urban area. The Suda name referred to the Andalusian fortress built during the 9th century on the site now occupied by the Castle of the King, but it is also the name that documentary sources designate as the noble district that stretched down the hill.
It was the palace where the king resided during his stay in Lleida. Its construction reflects different phases between the late 13th and 14th century, which is why Romanesque and Gothic forms coexist. It has a single nave, the former Hall of Medieval Courts. It was the most remarkable civil building in the city and an important centre for political decisions. It has a roof terrace, which turns it into a spectacular viewpoint.