The Berga City Council has commissioned works to reinforce the walls of Sant Pere square, including the railing and the rounded wall near the church stairs. The project will maintain the existing structure but change the stone cladding, with an estimated duration of four months and a budget of 189,000 euros.
The current railing, covered with limestone slabs from Sant Vicenç since the square's renovation in the early 90s, has suffered degradation due to the climate. The fastening systems have deteriorated, posing a potential safety risk.
The wall renovation has been included as a priority project in the 2026 budget of the Berga City Council. Works will commence this autumn, before the Patum festival, and will extend until the Portal Attack.
The new project, designed by municipal architect Pere Claret, will alter the square's appearance with granite natural stone cladding, offering a more organic and classic look that harmonizes with the old town's aesthetic. The concrete walls will be cleaned and covered with 60x40 cm granite slabs using invisible anchors. Additionally, a colorless paint will be applied to protect the stone from graffiti.
The paintings of Patum figures and comparsa logos, created five years ago by designer Salvador Vinyes, will be removed. In their place, eighteen granite slabs will feature Patum illustrations by Berguedà painter Josep Maria de Martín, engraved through mechanical milling.
These illustrations, taken from the work 'Loco retablo de la Patum' (1944), depict the silhouettes of giants, dwarfs, and other figures with simple lines, similar to those already found on the paving stones of Sant Joan square.
The public tender for the works, open until September 8th, includes the engraving of the illustrations as a technical improvement. The goal is to complete the work before the Patum festival. The renovation covers the central railing, the church's stair railings, and the rounded wall.
Josep Maria de Martín i Gassó (Berga, 1920-2005) was a painter, illustrator, poet, and writer. He illustrated works by Salvador Espriu and Carlos Barral, and published under the pseudonym Pep in the newspaper El Correo Catalán. He directed the Municipal Museum of Berga and received the city's Gold Medal in 2001.
