A medieval church with a neoclassical façade, hidden medieval sculptures in La

Santa Maria de la Guàrdia Lada is a church located in the heart of La Guàrdia Lada village, in the municipality of Montoliu de Segarra (Segarra), listed in the Inventary of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia. Dating back to the 11th century, it forms part of the medieval nucleus of the village. The church boasts a rectangular design, a single nave, side chapels, and a flat-topped apse. Its roof is double-pitched with tiles and bricks around its entire perimeter, and it has an external cover.

The main façade features a pointed arch doorway adorned with a carved molding and a pressed keystone, above which is a small square opening. Three sculptures, integrated into the façade, are situated above the square opening. The images of these sculptures, albeit difficult to identify due to their eroded state, are believed to depict scenes from the medieval era. One of these sculptures, located above the square opening, seems to depict a pilgrim due to the clothing the figure wears.

The bell tower, with a square design and four openings of pointed arch, is attached to one side of the main façade, disrupting the view slightly. Inside the church, a motto can be seen at the beginning of the barrel-vaulted interior, from which the arches formers rise and rest on pilasters. Originally belonging to the bishopric of Vic, the church passed to the diocese of Solsona in 1957.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons