Seminari Major

Stepping into the courtyard of the Seminari Major, one can almost feel the weight of centuries pressing down. The Seminari Major stands as a testament to faith, resilience, and the ebb and flow of history. This very building, designed by Elies Rogent, the architect behind the University of Barcelona, opened its doors to seminarians in 1882. The official inauguration, however, didn’t occur until 1904. Think of the anticipation and the changes that must have unfolded within these walls during those intervening years. The Seminari Major wasn’t always located here on Carrer de la Diputació. Its history traces back to the Council of Trent in 1545, which decreed the establishment of seminaries for priestly formation. Barcelona’s first seminary was established in 1593 in a building on Carrer de Montalegre. It later moved to the Església de Betlem on La Rambla, then to Carrer Tallers, before finally finding its home here in this magnificent structure. The Seminari Major’s journey has not been without its trials. During the Tragic Week of 1909, it was attacked and partially burned. The Spanish Civil War brought further devastation. The building was looted and repurposed, serving as a headquarters for a libertarian youth organization, a refugee shelter, a prisoner-of-war camp, a hospital, and a residence for prisoners. During this tumultuous period, the seminary’s rector, Josep Maria Peris, along with several instructors and seminarians, were martyred. Following the war, the Seminari Major was restored, and seminarians returned. In the 1970s, a shift occurred. Seminarians began living in residences throughout Barcelona, leaving the building on Carrer de la Diputació to house only the academic institutions. A renovation project in 1984 modernized the facilities, and in 1999, the seminary community fully returned, now distributed across three residences. The Seminari Major stands as a silent witness to the changing tides of Barcelona. It has weathered storms both literal and figurative, emerging as a symbol of enduring faith and the pursuit of knowledge.