Culture and traditions

The mixture of past and present is the main attraction of Osona, a region that glitters with its own light right in the heart of Catalonia. This mountain-ringed plain has been home to Bishops and shepherds, bandits and Lords, and the echo of their stories can still be heard. If you want to listen closely, come and visit! Now is the time to revive their memory.

Many of us tend to associate Romanesque art with austerity and simplicity, discreetly blending in with nature. And this is very true, especially of the small churches built in the 11^th and 12^th centuries in mountain villages. However, it can also be a rich and complex artistic style that reflects the aristocratic sensibility of the monks who lived in the monasteries at that time.

Long before Disney popularised Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean universe, the inhabitants of the Catalan coastline were all too familiar with the attacks launched by sea bandits. Films, series and novels have presented pirates as romantic characters, but they could be the most cruel of criminals. Their role in local history is certainly worth discovering and it’s been kept alive in many towns in regions such as Garraf or Maresme as a way to explore their historical heritage.