About The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Barcelona:
The Barcelona Cathedral was built over six centuries. Funded by donations from the medieval brotherhoods and guilds, construction began in 1298, on the site of a 4th-century early-Christian basilica, which had been destroyed by the troops of the general of the Andalusian caliphate of Al-Mansur in the 10th century. Despite the destruction of this early building, the baptistery survived.
The chapel of Santa Llúcia was part of the Romanesque church built prior to the Gothic Cathedral, while the oldest surviving doorway is the Porta de Sant Iu. The main façade and bell tower were completed around 1890, following the original plans, in the neo-Gothic style. The interior is an impressive sight with 25 side chapels, the magnificent 14th-century cloister and the choir stalls, where the Knights of the Golden Fleece gathered during the visit of Emperor Charles V of Germany in 1519.
The tomb of Saint Eulàlia:
Eulalia, co-patron saint of Barcelona, was a 13-year-old Roman Christian virgin who was martyred in Barcelona during the persecution of Christians in the reign of emperor Diocletian.
The Christ of Lepanto:
The Christ of Lepanto is the most venerated image in Barcelona. It is a gothic carving, possibly from the 13th century, although little is known of its exact origin. What makes this image especially interesting is that according to tradition, this image was aboard the flagship at the decisive Battle of Lepanto of 1571, in which the Christian navy prevented the Ottoman Empire from advancing further in to Europe.
You will find The Christ of Lepanto in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament…..except during Lent, when it is displayed in the Chapel of Saint Severus of Barcelona.
Popular devotion has continued over the centuries. The confraternity of the Sant Crist de Lepant, which dates back to at least 1651, was founded to keep the image protected. The Cathedral decided to restore the sculpture because the paint was beginning to flake and, of course, had been darkened by candle smoke. The image has been cleaned and then retouched in the most damaged areas to show what it must have looked like in 1571.
Here is a video describing the restoration of the Christ of Lepanto (in Spanish).
Finding The Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Barcelona:
Address: Pla de la Seu, s/n, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Tel: +34 933 15 15 54
