Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral (Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia) is located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. The spectacular facade and spire of this majestic cathedral can be mistaken for Gothic, but they were only added to the 14th- and 15th-century building in the 19th century. Fortunately, the surviving plans of Charles Galte of Rouen were used, which predetermined the overall harmony of the building. Until 1298, when Gothicism came here, the site was occupied by a Romanesque church, a mosque and a Roman basilica.
General information
Entering the cathedral, you find yourself in the main nave with high vaults, which is supported by ribbed columns. A staircase in front of the choir leads to the crypt, which is located under the main altar. Under its low vaults is the carved marble sarcophagus of St. Eulalia, a local martyr who was executed by the Romans in the 4th century and became the patron saint of Barcelona.
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Most of the central nave is occupied by choirs decorated with skillful carvings. The pulpit is decorated with Renaissance reliefs from the life of St. Eulalia, designed by Bartolomé Ordóñez. Later images of the coats of arms of European monarchs were added.
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From the apse and nave branch off no less than 29 side chapels, and almost every one of them contains a retablo or sculptural composition. To the right of the main entrance is the majestic Chapel of Santissim-Sagramento with a 16th-century crucifix. This figure of Christ was on the ship of Juan of Austria during the Battle of Lepanto (1571). In the opposite corner stands a huge marble font (1433) and a commemorative plaque announcing the baptism here of six American Indians brought here by Christopher Columbus in 1493
.At the back of Barcelona Cathedral, in the first side aisle to the left of the altar, is the alabaster tomb of Count Ramon d’Escales by sculptor Antoni Canet (1409). Further on, near the ambulatory, is Chapel VI, with remarkable images of St. Gabriel on 18 panels by Luis Borassa (1390). Between them is the Benedictine Chapel of St. Benet, its altarpiece by Bernat Martorel (1452). From this part of the apse you can access the elevator that takes visitors to the roof of the building. Near the left wall, note the two modest sarcophagi of Count Ramon Berenguer I and his wife.
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Another surprise awaits you in the vaulted Gothic gallery of the cathedral (1498), which you reach directly from Carrer del Bistre through the Santa Eulalia gate: among the palm trees and potted plants, next to the fountain and the statue of St. George, the patron saint of Catalonia, roam a flock of geese guarding the cathedral grounds. The gallery is flanked by vaulted chapels dedicated to individual saints, and the chapter house has been turned into a small museum. A modest font in the corridor survives from the original Romanesque cathedral.
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