Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral
CATEDRAL DE LA SANTA CREU I SANTA EULÀLIA
Barcelona Cathedral
You might have guessed that the main religious building in Barcelona is the Sagrada Família, but in actual fact it is the cathedral. With many centuries of construction behind it, it features multiple architectural styles. And there are two unexpected highlights you should know about – the magnificent view from the roof and the 13 geese in the cloister!
My Rating:
The positives:
Barcelona Cathedral doesn’t get too crowded and a ticket doesn’t break the bank. It’s a peaceful place of contemplation with a surprise or two up its sleeve. Ready for a spoiler? 13 geese live at the cathedral...
The negatives:
There’s not really much to say here. Just that the cathedral might not make it onto everyone’s list of top ten attractions in Barcelona. Because it’s a church, because it’s not a Gaudí building and who knows why else?
Tip:
Remember that this is a church, so you should ideally dress appropriately.
Last Modified: 19.02.2024 | Céline
Barcelona Cathedral
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Opening Hours
Cultural and tourist visit times:
Monday – Friday, 9.30 a.m. – 6.30 p.m.
Saturdays, 9.30 a.m. – 5.15 p.m.
Sundays, 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing tourist-time
Worship and prayer opening times vary.
Prices
Prices at times of tourism access:
EUR 14
(you can visit the whole cathedral)
Admission + Audio guide through Tiqets: EUR 16.50
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Barcelona Cathedral
Photo Gallery
What is there
to see?
Not many people realise that the Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (commonly known as Barcelona Cathedral) is actually the main religious building in the city. You may have expected the Sagrada Família to take that title, but it is in fact ‘just’ a church that was designated as a basilica. What makes cathedrals special is that they contain the seat of the bishop.
The cathedral has an interesting history behind it that includes centuries of building work. A Roman temple once stood where the cathedral is now, pre-dating even the original church building dating back to the 6th century. This means that the cathedral is located within the old Roman city walls. In fact, you can still see two of the old towers in the large square in front of the building.
So what makes this cathedral so special? I’ve picked out three highlights for you here…
THE CHOIR STALLS
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THE STUNNING VIEW
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THE 13 GEESE
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facts and figures
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A bit of history
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HIGHLIGHT 1
THE CHOIR STALLS
Work on the choir stalls began in 1390 under the direction of Pere Ça Anglada, an architect from Flanders. And yet they are an exceptional example of the Catalan gothic style of that era. Plus, the canopies and pinnacles were the work of Michael Lochner, a German sculptor.
The commemorative shields were painted on the choir stalls by Juan de Borgoña (who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy) in 1517–1518.
As you can see, talented artists came together from all across Europe to create these spectacular choir stalls.
HIGHLIGHT 2
THE STUNNING VIEW
If you still need a reason to visit this cathedral, perhaps the promise of the view from the roof terrace will be enough to tempt you.
You’ll go up in a little lift and then have to climb a few quick steps to reach the cathedral roof.
Your reward?
A panoramic view of the city! And it’ll take your breath away.
The cathedral is located at the heart of the city in the gothic old town. That means you can gaze down at the ocean and up at the mountains. Not to mention that you’ll be able to spot the Sagrada Família and look out in the direction of Montjuïc and the MNAC.
You really don’t want to miss out on this view – trust me!
HIGHLIGHT 3
THE 13 GEESE
Something you probably wouldn’t have expected to find in the cathedral? Geese!
Yes, geese! 13 of them to be precise. And you’ll find them keeping watch in the cloister as guard geese!
As you might have guessed, the geese aren’t just in the cathedral by chance. You just know there’s a story here… It’s the story of Santa Eulàlia, who the cathedral is named after and the crypt in the high altar is dedicated to.
Eulàlia lived between 290 and 303 A.D. Some sources say she was a goose herder before she died at the young age of 13.
She lived under the reign of Emperor Diocletian, who persecuted Christians. Since Barcelona was a Roman town at the time, Christians living here were persecuted too. And Eulàlia was raised a Christian…
Unfortunately, that meant she was targeted and brutally tortured. One of the methods of torture involved being put inside a barrel filled with either nails or knives and being rolled down a narrow alley. That street is now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia (Saint Eulàlia’s Descent) and there’s even a commemorative sign there. Another of the acts of torture likely involved her eyes being gouged out.
At the tender age of 13, she died a martyr.
Eulàlia has been honoured in Barcelona since the 7th century, and her body was recovered in 877. She is now the patron saint of Barcelona and the cathedral’s namesake.
The geese guard the cathedral and also protect their former keeper Eulàlia. There are 13 geese to represent the age of Saint Eulàlia when she died.
Facts
& figures
External length: 93 meters
External width: 40 meters
Height: 28 meters (main nave)
Bell towers height: 54 meters
Inner length: 79 meters
Inner width: 25 meters
Interior height: 26 meters (main nave)
Aisles: 6 meters wide and 21 meters high
Barcelona Cathedral
A bit of history
The cathedral has many centuries of construction behind it.
The site was originally home to a Roman temple that was replaced by a small church during the 6th century.
The foundation stone for the cathedral as we know it now was laid in 1298, but the last of the finishing touches was not added until 1913. That means the building work took over 600 years altogether! Now, we obviously can’t go into every last detail during that whole time. So, here are the headlines for you…
Building work on the church building including the nave, aisles, linked convent and cloister was finished all the way back in 1448. And the Crypt of Saint Eulàlia had actually already been completed in 1329.
The bell towers were built in 1500, with one above the Door of Saint Ivo and the other above the interior entrance to the cloister. From the roof terrace, you can see that these bell towers are octagonal.
The facade as we know it wasn’t created for another 350 years, when August Font and Josep Oriol Mestres followed original plans from the 15th century.
The large tower in the middle only dates back to the 20th century, having been built between 1906 and 1913.
Official website of the cathedral (EN): www.catedralbcn.org
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2020 – 2024
Other
churches of Barcelona
Santa Maria del Mar
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Sagrada Familia
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Colonia Güell
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Monastery of Pedralbes
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Santa Maria del Pi
coming soon