The basilica dedicated to the city’s patron saint

Mare de Déu de la Mercè, Our Lady of Mercy, was proclaimed a patron saint of the city in 1687. Her image, a fourteenth-century Gothic carving, rests on a silver throne on the upper floor, which is open to visits from the public. The curved Baroque façade is the only example of this style in the city. On the side of the temple facing C/ Ample, is the flamboyant ancient Gothic façade of the Church of Sant Miquel, which was torn down around 1870. In fact, C/ Carabassa, one of the most beautiful in the area, offers a privileged view of this side of the basilica: its gothic flank and dome, crowned by an enormous figure of Mary.

The former Convent de la Mercè

The right-hand façade of the basilica is joined by a pretty bridge that crosses C/ la Mercè to the former Convent de la Mercè, now the Capitania General Ministry of Defence building. The church’s interior is typically Baroque, with a single nave and side chapels.