As the name suggests, la Canonja was the canons’ residence and the centre for cathedral administration, management and services. According to the founding document dated 1168, twenty-five canons lived in la Canonja obeying a highly hierarchical structure according to the rule of St. Augustine. Thus, la Canonja is the oldest part of the entire cathedral complex.

The building preserved today is the result of a long construction process spanning from the end of the twelfth century to the sixteenth century during which period the different quarters were built, extended and renovated. In addition to the canons’ residence, la Canonja also hosted the chapel of Santa Maria l’Antiga, the chapterhouse, the notarial archive, the library and the Pia Almoina.

Its current aspect, which hardly resembles the original, is one of a completely empty building that, like the rest of the cathedral, displays the consequences of its conversion into a military barracks as of 1707, in the midst of the War of the Spanish Succession. If you look carefully, in the main nave where you are now, you can still see the holes built in military times for the bracing that divided the dwelling into two floors.

Worthy of a special mention, however, are the wall paintings from the Pia Almoina and also the gates of the Chapterhouse and Santa Maria l'Antiga, connecting to the cloister and considered the best exponent of Renaissance style throughout the territory of Lleida.