The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (), also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, with the principal work done in the fourteenth century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese (Font de les Oques), was completed in 1448. In the late nineteenth century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the undistinguished exterior that was common to Catalan churches.

Its form is a pseudo-basilica, vaulted over five aisles, the outer two divided into chapels. The transept is truncated. The east end is a chevet of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar is raised, allowing a clear view into the crypt.

The cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Cross and Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin martyr who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that 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 (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia). The relics of Saint Eulalia are entombed in the cathedral's crypt.

The choir stalls retain the coats-of-arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In his first trip into Spain, Charles V selected Barcelona as the site of a chapter of his order. The king had arrived for his investiture as Count of Barcelona. The city, as a Mediterranean port, offered the closest communication with other far-flung Habsburg dominions, while the large proportions of the cathedral would accommodate required grand ceremonies. In 1518, the Order's herald, Thomas Isaac, and its treasurer, Jean Micault, were commissioned to prepare the sanctuary for the first sitting of the chapter in 1519. Juan de Borgonya executed the painted decoration of the sanctuary.

The side Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and of the Holy Christ of Lepanto contains a cross said to date from the time of the Battle of Lepanto (1571).

In addition to Saints Eulalia and Olegarius, the cathedral contains the tombs of Saint Raymond of Penyafort, Count Ramon Berenguer I and his third wife Almodis de la Marche, and bishops Berenguer de Palou II, Salvador Casañas y Pagés, and Arnau de Gurb, who is buried in the Chapel of Santa Llúcia, which he had constructed.

The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, the number explained by the assertion that Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred. However, in a document from the Second Council of Barcelona in 599, it states that the cathedral was dedicated to the Holy Cross. The Habsburgs were said to have regarded this as an encouraging omen.

A separate story says that the cross was in the ship's hold and the figure moved to cover a large hole which would have sunk the ship.

Architecture

The architectural design of the Barcelona Cathedral consist of the regional style of Catalan Gothic. Catalan Gothic construction is confined to the Barcelona area and its influences. Catalan Gothic constructing consist of diaphanous areas and large spanning naves. Catalan Gothic does not seek to create towering buildings, but to balance the dimensions of the structure. The Barcelona Cathedral is 93 meters (305.1 feet) long, 40 meters (131.2 feet) wide, and 28 meters (91.8 feet) high at the central nave. Each bell tower of the cathedral is 54 meters (177.1 feet) in height. The tallest point of the cathedral reaches 70 meters (229.6 feet) at the peak of the cimborio. Large windows are placed opening to the cloister to provide sunlight to the choir. A windowed gallery runs atop the chapels in the aisle of the nave to provide indirect light. The facade is consistent with neo-Gothic design elements. Ornament of the cathedral facade is known for sculptural gargoyles on the roof along with many other animals and mythical creatures.

Gothic Quarter

The Barcelona Cathedral is located in the cathedral neighborhood in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona. As a showing of Catalonian nationalism, the mediaeval buildings of the Gothic quarter were restored from 1927 to 1970. Over 40 structures were remodeled in the gothic style to upgrade the area that became one of the most attractive parts of the city. The Catalan house was the building that shaped the rest of the Gothic quarter. Directly behind the cathedral, many buildings during the restoration of the neighborhood were demolished or renovated to match the style of the Catalan House. Reconstructing the gothic quarter around the rebuilt facade of the Barcelona Cathedral and the Catalan house gave the opportunity to embellish the city with its most important buildings. The transformation of the cathedral neighborhood gives Barcelona a historic image that creates a relationship between heritage and tourism.

Traditions

  • The tradition of the 'dancing egg' (supported by the jet of a fountain) is maintained on the day of Corpus Christi at the cathedral.

Present day

The cathedral has been updated in response to an increasing number of tourists. The cloister now contains a gift shop, the traditional candles normally lit at the shrines of saints have been replaced with electronic candles, and cellular phones have been banned from the Chapel of Lepanto and other chapels.

Images

<gallery mode="packed">

Image:Santaeulaliabarcelona224.jpg|Cathedral plan

File:Altar mayor de la Catedral de Barcelona.JPG|Illustration of the main altar (1839)

File:Barcelone - Cathédrale - Portail principal.jpg|Main portal

Image:Porta claustre catedral de Barcelona.jpg|Door in the cloister

Barcelona Cathedral Interior - Altarpiece of our Lady of the Rosebush - Agusti Pujol 1617-1629.jpg|Chapel of Lady of the Rosebush

Barcelona Cathedral Interior - Crypt of Santa Eulalia.jpg|Saint Eulalia's crypt

Barcelona Cathedral - The fountain of the cloister.jpg|Cloister

Image:cathedralgeesebarcelona.JPG|Geese in the cloister

Barcelona Cathedral Interior - carved choir stalls.jpg|Choir seats at the cathedral

Image:Creatity.com st eulalia fontain.jpg|The fountain in the atrium

Image:Garden06390019.JPG|the Cathedral garden

Image:Cathedral of Santa Eulalia - gargoyle 01.jpg|Gargoyle

Barcelona Cathedral Interior - Capella de Sant Ramon de Penyafort.jpg|Tomb of Saint Raymond of Penyafort

Image:Catalunya en Miniatura-Catedral de Barcelona.JPG|Scale model of the cathedral, at the Catalunya en Miniatura park

Image:Barcelona, Cathedral and Palau del Lloctinent.jpg|Bell tower with stair turret above the door of Saint Ivo

File:Barcelona Cathedral (original).jpg|Barcelona Cathedral at night

</gallery>

See also

  • Catholic Church in Spain
  • List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe

References

Notes

  • Official site
  • Legends of Saint Eulalia. Martyrdom, Burial in Cathedral Crypt, Why it always rains during Barcelona Festival