Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia

Here she is! The patron saint of Barcelona, Saint Eulalia. This cathedral is dedicated to both her and to the Holy Cross. It’s the second biggest church in the city after the Sagrada Família, and it’s the seat of the Archdiocese of Barcelona. This impressive cathedral is far from being the first structure to stand on this site. It was built between the 13th and 15th centuries, on the ruins of a Romanesque cathedral, which stood on top of a Visigothic church, and before that, a Paleo-Christian basilica. The only remains of the site’s earliest temple built by Christians in the 4th are the baptistery, visible in the basemet of the church and a few others which are displayed at the Barcelona History Museum. From the Romanesque church, consecrated in 1058, the Chapel of Santa Llúcia still stands. The imposing Gothic cathedral was built very slowly over several centuries — wars and the Black Death majorly slowed construction. The main structure was completed in the 15th century, but the Gothic façade wasn’t built until the 19th century. The 70-meter-high spire was finally finished 1913. Its width is more impressive than its height. It spans 40 meters across, and its towers reach up to 50 meters high. The entry fee gives you access to the cathedral’s wide nave, surrounded by 28 side chapels and lit by tall stained-glass windows from the 15th century. The main chapel holds Saint Eulalia’s tomb. The cathedral’s history is closely tied to this young martyr. With your ticket, you can also discover the convent’s cloister, home to 13 white geese — a symbol of Eulalia’s martyrdom. According to legend, she was a 13-year-old goose herder who was tortured 13 times by the Romans, before being crucified. You can also access the rooftop terraces for a spectacular view of the old city! Barcelona’s cathedral was restored in 2005 and is listed as a Historic Heritage Site of Spain. I’ll leave you to explore inside if you wish, or you can keep walking along the cathedral to discover some of its more surprising features.