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Santa Maria del Mar – Cathedral of the sea
Discover the original Cathedral of the Sea
Ildefonso Falcones’ book Cathedral of the Sea (orig.: La Catedral del Mar) is based upon the construction of a church in Barcelona. Inspired by Santa Maria del Mar located in the district La Ribera next to the Ramblas del Born, Falcones’ intricately plotted novel which was published in late 2006 has become an international bestseller. The story of the book is set in medieval times around the construction of the church.
Santa Maria del Mar is mentioned in the year 998 for the first time in history. It was erected from 1329 until 1389 during the peak of Catalonia’s dominance of trade at sea. The church’s architecture by Berenguer de Montagut and Ramon Despuig represents typical Catalan Gothic with its significantly clear and coherent style as opposed to other medieval buildings. The big round window at the west facade of the building was replaced with a Flamboyant window in 1459 after the previous window was destroyed by an earthquake in 1428.
The Cathedral of the Sea seems to be a rather large building because it is embedded between the narrow streets of La Ribera, hence it is difficult to get a full view of the building from outside. Santa Maria del Mar can be best viewed from the south side at Fossar de les Moreres and from the west side at Plaça de Santa Maria which faces the main entrance of the church, in both of these places used to be cemeteries.
The interior of the Cathedral del Mar gives an impression of light and space due to its construction as one main big room. Some of stone tiles in the floor include engravings. The doors of the main entrance of Santa Maria del Mar are decorated with small sculptures of the porters of La Ribera who collaborated in the construction of the church by transporting stones.
Falcones’ award-winning novel The Cathedral of the Sea is set in Barcelona and it tells the story of Arnau Estanyol, the son of a fugitive serf who obtains freedom and eventually achieves a high status.
Santa Maria del Mar – Metro: L4 – Barceloneta
