The residents of Lloret de Mar have always had a close relationship with the sea, first as a fishing village and later with the overseas trade.
In 1778, King Charles III promulgated the Decree of Free Trade with the American colonies. From this moment, large ships began to be built on the beaches of Lloret to leave for America.
From the late XVIII to the mid-XIX, century, many people from Lloret got on board to the new world, where some achieved a fortune. Despite being so far from their hometown, the Indians (Lloret residents who had left for America) contributed economically to the deep urban transformation of Lloret de Mar.
With the money raised in America, they built large mansions on the seafront, financed some charities such as the hospital and schools, and even participated in the rebuilding of the parish church.
Discover below the places with an Indian trace that you cannot miss in the city of Lloret de Mar.
The modernist cemetery of Lloret de Mar, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, is one of the main examples of 19th century funeral art in Catalonia. It is also part of the European Route of Cemeteries, which aims to preserve and disseminate the tangible and intangible heritage around these places of high historical, artistic, and ethnographic value.
The cemetery remodelling was promoted at the end of the 19th century by the Indians. In 1891 the new location for the cemetery was decided, and the project was managed by the architect Joaquim Artau i Fàbregas, prestigious architects were also participating such as Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Bonaventura Conill Montobbio, a disciple of Antonio Gaudí.
The cemetery was inaugurated in 1901, is inspired by a small town for the deceased, with its avenues, streets, and pantheons as houses. In it, you can enjoy authentic jewels of modernist art with infinite details associated with the funeral symbology.
The Maritime Museum (also known as “Casa Garriga”), located on the seafront of Lloret de Mar, is one of the most relevant Indian houses in Lloret.
It was built in 1887 by Enric Garriga i Mataró, a man from Lloret who emigrated to Cienfuegos, Cuba. Together with his brother, he created a construction company in Cuba and returned 22 years later with a fortune.
The house was owned by the family until 1981, when the Lloret de Mar city council acquired it to restore it and turn it into the current museum. On the ground floor of the building, the original 19th century ceilings, walls, furniture, and floors are still preserved.
The museum has an important collection of naval models, objects and equipment related to the sailing world. If you want to visit it, you can get your tickets on the Lloret Heritage website.
The Church of Sant Romà is located in Plaça de l’Esglesia (Church Square), in the centre of Lloret de Mar. This building reflects two very different construction and architectural periods: Gothic and Modernist.
Built between 1509 and 1522, the church was originally Gothic style, with fortification elements and a single nave. You can still see this style on the front, with its austere portal.
In 1914, the Indians financed the modernist remodelling of the Sant Romà temple, work of the architect Bonaventura Conill i Montobbio. A deep adaptation to the modernist style, covering the whole temple with mosaics and using the trencadís technique, as well as two side chapels, the Sacrament and the Baptismal.
Lloret de Mar town hall, also known as “Casa de la Vila”, is located on the Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer promenade, nearby the sea.
This neoclassical building was built in 1872 during the city's Indian period by the architects Martí Sureda and Félix de Azúa, and next to where the shipyards of Lloret de Mar used to be located.
It is a four-floor building with a terrace that occupies an entire block. The facade is painted pink and stands out for the specific decorations on the railings and cornices. Above the clock you can see one of the few badges that have been preserved of King Amadeus of Savoy.
Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer promenade, located in front of Lloret de Mar beach, was promoted by the Indians who built their houses near the sea.
It is a red sand promenade surrounded by palm trees that is reminiscent of the colonial atmosphere of the Americas. At one end is located Casa de la Vila (1872) and at the other the Casa Garriga (1887), two buildings from the Indian period. In total, it measures about 300 meters long by 50 meters wide.
Although it was originally called “paseo del mar” (Seafront promenade), at the beginning of the 20th century the name was changed to “paseo Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer” (promenade Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer), in honor of the Catalan poet and priest.
Can Font, also known as “Cal Conde” or “Can Piuet”, is a modernist style building built in 1887 commissioned by Nicolau Font i Maig, a man from Lloret who went to Jaruco, Cuba, and returned to the city with a great fortune.
The house, with a neoclassical façade, has a basement, ground floor, first and second floors, attic, and patio. It is structured around a staircase located in the centre of the building, linking the rooms of the different floors. The ceilings decoration, the walls and the original furniture of the time stand out.
In 1940, Nicolau Cabanyes i Llobet sold the house to Ferran Comadran i Torres, a textile industrialist from Sabadell. The Lloret de Mar city council acquired the property in 1981. Currently, it is the only public house-museum with, and Indian style preserved in Catalonia.
Sant Pere del Bosc monastery located 5 kilometres from the centre of Lloret de Mar, date back to 986. In 1855, the monastery was acquired by Nicolau Font i Maig from Cuba, who did not return for twenty years after the purchase of Sant Pere del Bosc.
The building was restored by the modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, becoming one of the most representative examples of the Catalan modernism.
Nowadays, Sant Pere del Bosc continues in the Nicolau Font i Maig family hands, hosting a restaurant and a hotel, opened in 1981 and 2011.
On the way to Sant Pere del Bosc, you can also find the Angel statue of Lloret, work of the painter and artistic decorator Enric Monserdà i Vidal, and the Term Cross and the Chapel-oratory of the Virgin of Grace, by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
If you want to discover the Indian trace of Lloret de Mar, come and stay at Rosamar Hotels. Our hotels are in a privileged location, right in front of Lloret de Mar beach, a few minutes walking from the city centre, where the main monuments and places of interest are located.
Rosamar Garden Resort hotel is perfect for families, as it has gardens, swimming pools and even water slides. It has rooms and apartments so you can choose the most suitable option for you.
Rosamar & Spa hotel offers plenty of services such as a spa, swimming pools, a fitness area, or restaurants so children and adults can enjoy a fullest stay.
Rosamar Es Blau hotel is an adults-only hotel (+16), ideal for those looking to relax and enjoy the holidays with their couple or friends near the beach. It has services such as a fitness area, an outdoor swimming pool or the Vitality Spa.
Rosamar Maxim hotel is an adults only hotel (+18) located on the coastal path that connects Lloret de Mar with Sa Caleta beach. It has spectacular panoramic sea views to enjoy one of the most idyllic places on the Costa Brava.
Don't think twice and come and enjoy Lloret with Rosamar Hotels!