Catalunya or Liceu

The Cathedral is open 8am to 7.30pm daily, with various services taking place during the day. Entry costs €4, but FREE between 8am to 12.45pm and 5.15pm to 7.30pm.

One of the heroic stories in Barcelona’s past is the story of Eulalia. Eulàlia was just 13 years old and living in Barcelona during the Roman rule around 300AD. She strongly held a Christian faith and was persecuted for asserting that Jesus Christ was the Son of God during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Eulàlia refused to reject her Christian beliefs and was subjected to 13 tortures by the Romans. One story told how she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street, yet Eulàlia did not die. Sometime later, she was crucified on an X shaped cross and finally her head was cut off. As she died, it is said a white dove flew out from her body, representing the Holy Spirit. Eulàlia is the co-patron saint of Barcelona and is commemorated throughout the city, with this magnificent Cathedral dedicated to her.

Sarcophagus of Santa Eulàlia in the Crypt, with the panels on the side depicting her gruesome story

A church has stood on this site since those early days of Christianity. Barcelona’s first Bishop, Pretextat, said Mass in a small Christian church built on this site during the 4th century. In 1298, work started on the gothic building that we see today, and it was not completed until the mid-15th century. Most of the delay was due to enormous events that took place during those years, such as civil wars and the Black Death in 1348, where over a third of the cities population died. The main central tower however, was not added until the 19th century and was completed to the original 15th century gothic design.

Barcelona Cathedral

Gothic Central Tower

The magnificent main entrance is dominated by a statue of Christ surrounded by the apostles. Moving inside the cathedral, you will find yourself in the Nave, the edge of which is surrounded by 25 individual chapels, each dedicated to a different saint and with a different story to tell. For example, the chapel dedicated to the Christ of Lepanto, Capella del Sant Crist de Lepant, depicts the figure of Christ crucified above the altar. The figure was taken aboard a ship that fought in the famous sea Battle of Lapanto in 1571. Legend says that the figure of Christ shifted to the right slightly to “dodge” an incoming cannonball, creating the slightly strange pose we see today.

One of the 25 Chapels

Capella del Sant Crist de Lepant

In the Capella de les Animes del Purgatori (Souls of Purgatory Chapel) a lift takes you to the roof of the Cathedral (ticket required). Walkways allow you to wander across the top of the church and enjoy great views over central Barcelona.

Other features in the cathedral to look out for include the altar at the centre of the presbytery, where you can see the original bishop’s seat. In the ancient world this was the symbol of a teacher, representing the bishop's spiritual role. The seat is called a “cathedra” and it is from this word that a cathedral derived its name. Below the altar are steps leading down to the crypt which house the sarcophagus of Santa Eulàlia, with the panels on the side depicting her gruesome story.

The view along the Nave

High Altar and the Cathedra

Colourful Coats of Arms in the Choir Stalls Representing the Barcelona Chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece

A side door takes you into the peaceful gothic cloister, adorned with palm trees, magnolias and orange trees. The edges of the cloister are lined with chapels, and the trades of ancient Barcelona are represented in the relief work of the cloister flagstones. In the centre is a pond with fish, and following a Roman tradition, a flock of geese is allowed to roam. The flock consists of 13 birds, each one representing a year of Eulàlia’s short life.

The Cloister Pond

Flock of 13 White Geese

Flagstones in the Cloisters inscribed with pictures depicting various medieval trades of Barcelona

Saint George is the patron saint of Catalonia with images and symbols scattered around the city. In Barcelona on St George’s Day, gifts are exchanged between lovers - a rose to the woman, a book to the man. Here, in the Cathedral Cloister, you will find a small statue of Saint George, sitting on top of a mossy rock.

The small statue of Saint George

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