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Archdiocese of Barcelona
This cathedral is actually THREE buildings stacked on top of each other like a historical sandwich! Standing here on Carrer del Bisbe, you're looking at a Gothic masterpiece from 1298, but dig down and there's a 1,000-year-old Romanesque church, and even DEEPER lies a 1,600-year-old Roman basilica with white marble columns still buried beneath your feet. The soaring stone facade hides 13 white geese in the cloister inside - one for each year of Saint Eulalia's life before she became Barcelona's patron saint. Construction took 150 years to finish, which is like building something from your great-great-great-great-great grandparents' time until now! The coolest secret? Those foundations you're standing above once held the hidden treasure of Saint Eulalia's relics, buried to keep them safe from invading armies way back in the year 711.
Did You Know?
- The Archdiocese of Barcelona traces its Christian roots back to at least the 3rd century, with Bishop Praetextatus attending the Council of Sardica in 343—making it one of the oldest Christian communities in Spain. Excavations beneath the current Cathedral have revealed the remains of a 4th-century paleo-Christian basilica, which once housed the relics of Saint Eulalia, the city’s patron saint, hidden during the Arab invasion for protection.
- The current Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona was built on the foundations of both the original 4th-century basilica and a later Romanesque cathedral. Its construction began in 1298 and took nearly 150 years to complete, featuring stunning stained glass, intricate stone carvings, and a serene cloister with 13 white geese—a charming detail that delights children and symbolizes the purity of Saint Eulalia.
- While the Archdiocese of Barcelona is ancient, it only became a Metropolitan Archdiocese in 2004, when Pope John Paul II restructured its territory. The city has also welcomed two papal visits in recent history: Pope John Paul II in 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, highlighting its continued importance in the Catholic world.