The Building
Santa Maria del Mar is one of the most emblematic and visited buildings in Barcelona. Its austerity and simplicity, in contrast to the exuberance of the Gothic churches of Northern Europe, have made it the finest example of Catalan Gothic architecture in Catalonia.
The interior of Santa Maria del Mar impresses visitors with its vastness, particularly those entering for the first time. Three naves, with thirty-three chapels, arranged at almost the same height, structure a space whose visual continuity is interrupted only by the characteristic octagonal pillars so typical of Catalan Gothic. Thanks to its basilical floor plan, the entire church can be contemplated from virtually any vantage point, enhancing the perception of a unified, open, and truly imposing space.
Until recently, it was thought that, following the model of French Gothic, the same sectional construction techniques were employed in all Gothic churches, beginning with the apse and continuing progressively until the building was covered with ribbed vaults. During construction, the smaller Romanesque church within was preserved, allowing liturgical obligations to continue while the new structure was being erected.
Recent studies carried out at Santa Maria del Mar and at other nearby Gothic churches suggest different processes. We may now begin to speak of a construction system characteristic of Catalan Gothic and, perhaps, specific even to the city of Barcelona.
Santa Maria del Mar was built with stone quarried from Montjuïc hill, Barcelona’s quarry par excellence. Many of the city’s most notable buildings—from the Roman period until the mid-twentieth century—were constructed using stone from this source.
The task of transporting the stone, freely and devotedly, for the construction of the church fell to the bastaixos, a guild responsible for loading and unloading goods from large vessels that were unable to reach the shoreline. The novel ‘Cathedral of the Sea’ by Ildefonso Falcones has popularised the figure of the bastaixos, granting them an almost epic dimension. Numerous references to the guild may be found throughout the church, a testament to the respect and admiration they earned from the inhabitants of the Ribera district.
In the 1960s, shortly before the construction of the present crypt of Santa Maria del Mar, archaeological excavations were carried out beneath the altar. These revealed the existence of a Paleochristian necropolis. Approximately one hundred burials dating from the fourth to the sixth centuries were documented, indicating that the site now occupied by the basilica had already been a place of Christian worship from that early period.
Recent restoration works have made it possible for visitors to access the roof terraces of Santa Maria del Mar. Three elevated levels allow the discovery of previously inaccessible areas of the structure and provide a close view of such emblematic elements as the great rose window, the stained-glass windows, the towers, the gargoyles, and the upper section of the central nave above the ribbed vaults.
At more than thirty-three metres above ground, visitors may enjoy spectacular panoramic views over the city of Barcelona while also contributing to the preservation of the building through their admission donation.
