Barcelona's cathedral is a celebrated example of Catalan Gothic architecture. Its spires can be seen from almost all over the Barri Gòtic, and the large square upon which it resides, the Plaça de la Seu, is one of the neighborhood's main thoroughfares. The elevated site has always been Barcelona's center of worship: Before the present cathedral there was a Roman temple and later a mosque. Construction on the cathedral began at the end of the 13th century, under the reign of Jaume II. (On the exterior of its southern transept, on the Plaça de Sant Lu, there is a portal commemorating beginning of the work.) The bishops of the time ordered a wide, single nave, 28-side chapels, and an apse with an ambulatory behind a high altar. Work was finally completed in the mid-15th century (although the west facade dates from the 19th c.). The nave, cleaned and illuminated, has some splendid Gothic details. With its large bell towers, blending of medieval and Renaissance styles, high altar, handsomely sculptured choir, and Gothic arches, it ranks as one of the most impressive cathedrals in Spain. The most interesting chapel is the Cappella de Sant Benet, behind the altar with its magnificent 15th-century interpretation of the crucifixion by Bernat Martorell. It is the cloister, however, that enthralls most visitors. Consisting of vaulted galleries enhanced by iron grilles, it is filled with orange, medlar, and palm trees and features a mossy central pond and fountain, and is (inexplicably) home to a gaggle of white geese. Underneath the well-worn slabs of its stone floor, key members of the Barri Gòtic's ancient guilds are buried. The historian Cirici called this "the loveliest oasis in Barcelona." On its northern side, the cathedral's chapter house occupies the museum whose highlight is the 15th-century La Pietat of Bartolomé Bermejo. Another pocket of the cathedral that is worth seeking out is the alabaster sarcophagus of Santa Eulàlia, the co-patroness of the city. The martyr, allegedly a virgin daughter of a well-to-do Barcelona family, was burned at the stake by the Roman governor for refusing to renounce her Christian beliefs. You can take an elevator to the roof where you get a wonderful view of Gothic Barcelona, but only Monday through Saturday. At noon on Sunday, you can see the sardana, a Catalonian folk dance, performed in front of the cathedral.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Barcelona, 3rd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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