The heart of the city: Santa Maria del Mar

The heart of the city: Santa Maria del Mar

A glimpse into one of Barcelona's richest periods, Santa Maria del Mar is a church that rose from the promise of light and power. Its history was as surprising as its architecture.

Santa Maria del Mar is an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic, built between 1329 and the late 14th century, at the height of Principality of Catalonia’s maritime and mercantile preeminence. The church was built by the common people and promoted by the canon Bernat Llull, who was appointed Archdean of Santa Maria in 1324. Construction began on 25 March 1329 and the church was consecrated in 1384. The 1428 earthquake caused the rose window's destruction. The new rose window was finished by 1459. Many of its decorative richness were destroyed in a fire in 1936. Santa Maria survived a 11-day fire in 1936. Renovations following this fire began in 1938. The damaged windows weren’t replaced until the 1960s.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

Discuss this with the author and others

No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.