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Barcelona Cathedral

Barcelona's Gothic cathedral was begun on 1 May 1298 on the remains of an early Christian basilica and took about a hundred and fifty years to build; the cloister was finished in 1448. The main façade and the central tower, however, are neo-Gothic and were completed in 1913. It measures about 93 metres long by 40 wide and the central nave reaches 28 metres in height. It is dedicated to the Holy Cross and to Saint Eulalia, co-patron saint of the city, whose alabaster sarcophagus rests in the crypt beneath the high altar. Inside, the choir stands out, with stalls decorated with the coats of arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece, as does the chapel of the Christ of Lepanto. In the cloister, with its garden, live thirteen white geese. You can take a lift up to the roof terraces and visit the chapter house, with paintings by Jaume Huguet and Bartolomé Bermejo. It is in the Gothic Quarter, between Carrer del Bisbe and Plaça de la Seu.

Things to do at Barcelona Cathedral: 5 missions

• Climb to the roof terracesTake the lift from the Chapel of the Holy Innocents up to the roof terraces and look from above at the bell towers and the crossing tower crowned by the Holy Cross.
• Compare the façade with the restFrom Plaça de la Seu, look at the main façade, finished in 1913, and compare it with the original Gothic part you can see from Carrer del Bisbe or the Sant Iu door.
• Count the geese in the cloisterEnter the Gothic cloister, finished in 1448, and count the white geese that live in its garden. According to the official website there are thirteen, one for each year Saint Eulalia is said to have been when she died a…
• Go down to Saint Eulalia's cryptDescend to the crypt beneath the high altar and find the saint's alabaster sarcophagus, a work by Lupo di Francesco finished around 1326.
• Look for the Golden Fleece coats of armsIn the choir, whose stalls were begun in 1390, look at the backs decorated with the coats of arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece, who met here in 1519 with Emperor Charles V.

Near Barcelona Cathedral

Source: Web oficial - Catedral de Barcelona