Churches, Barcelona

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Situated in the heart of El Raval is this Romanesque church, one of the oldest in Barcelona. Originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 9th century and subsequently rebuilt in the following centuries, this ancient church reveals 12th-century cloister.
It stand in a busy and kind of rough neighbor so it is a real surprise, I felt here like in peaceful place after all the noise and crowd of the city, there was nobody there like it was a forgotten corner nobody knew about.

This church is the oldest medieval building in the city. It dates back to the year 912 and it was rebuilt between XI and XII centuries.

Its has a nice tiny cloister.

Sant Pau Del Camp lies at the bottom of the Carrer de Sant Pau; near Avinguida del Paral-lel. The nearest metro station is Paral.lel.

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I do love these higly ornamented churches. You can go inside and just sit down and feel nothing but calm. This basilica is exactly the same. With a beautiful inside and a nicely decorated outside it is a joy visiting this basilika. Especially since it is not so many people in here than in the big cathedral and other more famous churches in Barcelona.

History
According to legend, Our Lady of Mercy appeared in dreams to Pere Nolasc, calling on him to set up a monastic order dedicated to saving the numerous Christian captives who had fallen into the hands of the North African pirates in the Mediterranean. This he did, with the help of Ramon de Penyafort and support from King Jaume I.

And so the Order of Mercy was born. Their first church was constructed in 1267, on the same site as the present-day basilica. It was reformed during the 14th and 15th centuries, and in 1775 the architect Josep Mas began the final renovation of the church, which is as it stands today.

The patron of Barcelona
Legend also says that, in 1637, Our Lady of Mercy freed the city from a plague of locusts, and the grateful City Council so named her the patron of Barcelona. In 1696 Pope Innocent XII extended her worship to the whole Catholic Church, and she was canonised in 1888, during the Universal Exposition. Her cult extended throughout the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages, and, more recently, spread to Hispanic and American lands.

The patroness of Barcelona is highly revered by the public. A demonstration of this is seen when, on winning a championship, all the city sports teams go to the basilica to sing a hymn of gratitude.

Many details of the houses located in this area, will draw your attention: lattices on balconies, ornaments on walls, lanterns, door handles. Pay attention to unusual and very successful lay-out of crossroads. Angular houses have the oblique corners, therefore space of the square considerably increases. Quite often it is possible to see monuments on the squares. The architecture of ordinary churches draws attention with the singularity as well.

Vectorially correct lay-out of this district strikingly differs from Barri Gotico. In the middle of the XIX-th century it became obvious to city authorities of Barcelona, that there was no place in the old town for everybody who wanted to live there and to work.The catalunian word "l'Eixample" means "expansion". Try to find a little bit time for slow walk on streets of l'Eixample.

This romanesque gothic church was built in 1342, but work on it continued into the 16th century. Above the entrance portal, an enthroned Virgin is flanked by a pair of protective angels. The Latin inscription hails her as Virgo Nigra et Pulchra, Nostra Patrona Pia (Black and Beautiful Virgin, Our Holy Patroness). There is a single nave with the chapels. Doors are usaually closed expect for Sunday Mass, we were lucky there was a marriage planned and we could enter.
It is one of the oldest churches in Barcelona and is dedicated to the two martyrs, Just and Pastor.

Address: Pl. de Sant Just, 5
in the Gothic Quarter.

Probably the most beautifull church in Barcelona. It is an example of the catalan gothic style. Because all welth is absent the church is looking very spacy and simple. The building dates from the 1300´s and some of colorfull glasswindows date back the 1500´s.

The church is located at the Pl. de Santa Maria. The nearest subway is Jaume I.

The church is open between 10:00 - 13:30 and 16:30 - 20:00

Well, actually this is not really off the beaten path, because it is a tip in our guide book, but we thought, that it was a little out of the way...

This very old church has a wonderful cloister - it seems like an oasis within the hussle and buzzle of the city.

Entrance fee to the cloister is 1 € - more or less a donation type thing, plus you get a nice description of what to see!

Eveyone goes to the Sagrada Familia but you might miss the gorgeous La Seu gothic cathedral in the Barri Gotic. It's easy to walk there from the Ramblas and you can go inside to see all the altars, some lavishly decorated, dedicated to various saints. It's not easy to take photos because it's so dark inside but it's well worth going to have a look.

Santa Maria del Mar is the finest example of Gothic art in Barcelona according to my own point of view. After visiting the Cathedral you can step inside this magnificent church nearby the Picasso Museum on El Born district