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Basílica dels Sants Màrtirs Just i Pastor
1,700 years! That's how long Christians have been praying on this exact spot where you're standing - imagine your great-great-great-grandparents times FIFTY generations! This Gothic basilica looks totally lopsided because they only built ONE of the two planned towers - it's like someone forgot to finish building a castle! Step inside and look down through the glass windows in the floor... WHOA! You can actually see the stone foundations of the ancient church that was here 1,600 years ago, way before knights and dragons were even a thing! This place used to be Barcelona's main cathedral until they built the fancy one down the street. The spiral staircase in that wonky tower winds up like a giant stone tornado - climb it for views that'll make you feel like you're on top of the whole Gothic Quarter! And check out that medieval fountain in the square - it's where Jewish and Christian merchants were allowed to trade together 700 years ago, making this tiny plaza one of Barcelona's first multicultural meeting spots!
Did You Know?
- The Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor is built on layers of history: beneath its 14th-century Gothic structure lie the remains of a 4th-century church, which itself was constructed over a Roman pagan temple dedicated to the deity Mithras—making this one of the most archaeologically rich sites in Barcelona’s old city.
- The basilica’s single nave leads to a polygonal apse and is adorned with a stunning 16th-century altarpiece by Pere Nunyes depicting the Passion of Christ, while its vaulted ceiling features keystones carved with scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary—a hidden artistic treasure that surprises visitors with its medieval craftsmanship.
- Outside the basilica, in the charming Placeta de Sant Just, stands the Fivaller Fountain—one of the oldest fountains in Barcelona, also Gothic in style, offering a unique opportunity for families to discover both sacred and everyday medieval life in the same historic square.