The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, the Cathedral of the Sea

In the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona we have one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Barcelona, ​​the impressive Basilica of Santa María del Mar, well known thanks to the novel «The Cathedral of the Sea».

Its construction began in the year 1329 thanks to the contributions of the faithful of the Port area. Some even contributed their labor for the construction.

After several years of work and with the occasional mishap such as a fire that destroyed part of the vault, it was finally completed in 1383.

Visit the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar

The Basilica outside

The exterior of the Basilica of Santa María del Mar is quite simple and has a robust and sober appearance that makes us not expect what we are going to find in its beautiful interior.

The main façade is made up of two octagonal-shaped towers and two buttresses that enclose a beautiful rose window inside.

Part of this rose window was destroyed in an earthquake that occurred in the fifteenth century causing several deaths from falling debris. The porch is also quite simple and the facade suffers from austerity.

What to see inside the Basilica of Santa María del Mar

When you walk through its doors, the austerity of the façade is in the background, as the beauty of its Gothic interior seems to turn it into a completely different temple.

The temple is made up of three naves, without a transept, and covered with a beautiful ribbed vault.

The three naves are fairly similar in height, which, together with the great distance between columns, gives the impression that there is only one single nave.

It is worth mentioning the blackened aspect of the interior, which gives it an even more mysterious air, due to the fires it suffered during the Spanish civil war.

You can find more information on the official website of the Basilica of Santa María del Mar.