Barcelona Cathedral

The cathedral features a pseudo-basilica form with five aisles, two of which are separated into chapels, and a truncated transept. The east end is comprised of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory, with a raised high altar offering a clear view into the crypt. The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, a co-patron saint of the city who suffered martyrdom during Roman times. Legend has it that she was exposed naked in public and covered by a miraculous snowfall. Her body is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.

The choir stalls display the coats-of-arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which Charles, the future Holy Roman Emperor, established in Barcelona during his first trip to Spain. The cathedral's name, "Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia," honors both Saint Eulalia and the Holy Cross, while its commonly used name, La Seu, refers to its status as the diocese's seat.

The cathedral's side Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and of the Holy Christ of Lepanto houses a cross dating back to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The cathedral also contains the tombs of other saints, including Saint Raymond of Penyafort and Count Ramon Berenguer I and his third wife Almodis de la Marche.

A Gothic cloister within the cathedral houses 13 white geese, symbolizing the age of Saint Eulalia when she was martyred. From 1968 to 1972, a thorough cleaning and restoration program was carried out on the cathedral.

The Barcelona City History Museum's underground archaeological exhibit showcases various parts of an early Christian and Visigothic episcopal complex, including a baptistery from the fourth century, a basilical hall from the fifth century, a cross-shaped church from the sixth to seventh century, and a bishop's palace from the same period. The Visigothic chapel in this complex was initially dedicated to Saint James and served as the proprietary church of the Viscounts of Barcelona, but a document from the Second Council of Barcelona in 599 indicates that the cathedral was later dedicated to the Holy Cross. Unfortunately, the church suffered significant damage during al-Mansur's attack on Barcelona in 985.

In 1046, Count Ramon Berenguer I, his wife Almodis, and Bishop Guislabert began building a Romanesque cathedral on the same site, which was consecrated in November 1058. The cathedral was constructed over the crypt of the previous church, and although it's been reported that the site was sold to Bishop Guislebert by Viscount of Barcelona, Mir Geribert, in 1058, this date does not align with the reported start of construction.

On 1 May 1298, King James II the Just of Aragon and Bishop Bernat Pelegri began constructing the current Gothic cathedral on the same foundations as the previous churches. The church was built from east to west and featured a simple west facade that was finished in 1417. The cloister was completed in 1448, and construction took a total of 150 years. In the late nineteenth century, Miguel Girona i Agrafel offered to finish the neo-Gothic facade and central tower based on the original fifteenth-century design by master Carlí, which was later rearranged and drawn by architect Josep O. Mestres. This work was completed in 1913 by Girona's children.

Constructed in 1407 by Arnau Bargués as the chapterhouse, the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and of the Holy Christ of Lepanto was later rebuilt in the seventeenth century to house the tomb of San Olegarius, Bishop of Barcelona, and Archbishop of Tarragona.

The entrance's front facade of the chapel features the "Holy Christ of Lepanto" crucifix, which depicts Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross in a curved shape. According to Catalan legend, the cross was carried on the prow of the galley captained by Juan of Austria, step-brother of Spanish Philip II of Spain during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. When a cannonball was fired towards the cross, it reportedly leaned out of the way to avoid being hit and has remained inclined ever since. The Habsburgs believed this to be an encouraging omen. Another story claims that the cross was in the ship's hold and that the figure moved to cover a large hole that would have sunk the ship.

As a response to the rising number of tourists, changes have been made to the cathedral. A gift shop has been added to the cloister, electronic candles have replaced the traditional ones that used to be lit at the saints' shrines, and the use of cellular phones has been prohibited in the Chapel of Lepanto and other chapels.