Barcelona Cathedral
The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (also called La Seu) the Gothic cathedral seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain. The famous Sagrada Família currently being built is not a cathedral. The cathedral was constructed from the 13th to the 15th century. There was a Visigothic church there before. The Gothic-like façade is from the 19th century.
| Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia | |
|---|---|
| |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Archdiocese of Barcelona |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Leadership | Juan Jose Omella |
| Year consecrated | 1339 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Geographic coordinates | 41°23′02″N 2°10′35″E |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1298 |
| Completed | 1420 ; façade and central tower, 1913 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 90 metres (300 ft) |
| Width | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Height (max) | 53 metres (174 ft) (2 towers) |
| Website | |
| www.catedralbcn.org | |
The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona. According to Catholic tradition, Eulalia was a young virgin who suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona.[1] The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.
One side chapel is dedicated to "Christ of Lepanto", and contains a cross from a ship that fought at the Battle of Lepanto (1571).[2] The body of the cross is shifted to the right. Catalan legend says that the body swerved to avoid getting hit by a cannonball.
The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where thirteen white geese are kept (it is said that Eulalia was 13 when she was murdered).[2]
Images
Cathedral plan
Cloisters door
Chapels
Santa Eulàlia's Crypt
Cloister
Choir seats at the Cathedral
The Cathedral Garden
References
- One story is that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snow fall 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 Eulalia').
- Patterson, Margot (2004-04-01). "To build a cathedral is immense, crazy work". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
Other websites
- Official site
- Overview, with plan Archived 2010-02-10 at the Wayback Machine (in English, French, German, and Spanish)