Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, Barcelona, Spain Verified listing

Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, Barcelona, Spain

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also called Barcelona Cathedral, serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. Builders started construction in the thirteenth century and worked on it until the fifteenth century, completing most parts in the fourteenth century. The cloister surrounds the Well of the Geese and finished in 1448. In the late nineteenth century, builders added a neo-Gothic façade to replace the simpler original exterior common to Catalan churches.

The cathedral follows a pseudo-basilica design. It vaults over five aisles, with the outer two aisles dividing into chapels. The transept remains shortened. The east end forms a chevet with nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar stands raised, letting visitors see clearly into the crypt below. The cathedral honors the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia of Barcelona, a young martyr who suffered under Roman rule. Tradition tells that Romans exposed her in public, but a miraculous snowfall covered her nudity. Then, Romans rolled her down a street inside a barrel filled with knives.

The choir stalls display coats of arms from knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Charles V chose Barcelona for the order’s first chapter in 1519 because the cathedral could host grand ceremonies. The cathedral holds relics, such as a cross from the Battle of Lepanto, and tombs of important people like Saint Raymond of Penyafort and Count Ramon Berenguer I. The cloister offers a quiet space where thirteen white geese live. This number represents Saint Eulalia’s age when she died.

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