Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona

About Santa Maria del Mar

The basilica was begun in 1329 in the Ribera quarter, then home to sailors, merchants and craftsmen, with the sea lapping almost at its walls. It wasn't built by kings or bishops but by the local people, and it was finished in just 54 years, by 1383, almost a record for a Gothic church. That's why it looks so unified, all in one style.

The most touching contributors were the port porters, the bastaixos, who carried stones on their backs from the Montjuïc quarries for free. Their figures, bent under heavy loads, appear on the bronze main doors and on reliefs inside. The story of its construction inspired the bestselling novel *Cathedral of the Sea*.

Inside the basilica

Santa Maria del Mar is a model of Catalan Gothic: plain, massive walls outside and a vast open space within. Slender octagonal columns stand about 13 metres apart, among the widest spacing in any Gothic church, so the vaults seem to float.

There's very little decoration, so the light and proportions are the point. Above the main entrance glows a large 15th-century rose window, and a ring of slim columns stands around the altar in warm light. In the hush and half-light music sounds wonderful, and concerts are often held here.

What to see in the basilica

• The nave — a huge space and slender columns.
• The rose window — the round window above the main door.
• The bronze doors — figures of the bastaixos porters.
• The apse — a ring of columns around the altar.
• The roof — views over El Born on a tour.
• The square — the façade and its two octagonal towers.

The rooftop tour

On a guided tour you climb a spiral staircase in one of the towers to the basilica's flat roof. Catalan Gothic churches often have flat terraces instead of pitched roofs, and you can walk across them between the gutters and pinnacles.

From up here you see how tightly El Born's houses are packed, and beyond them the Gothic Quarter, the port and Montjuïc. The climb is steep and narrow, so it's not for everyone, and young children aren't admitted. Book rooftop tickets ahead, especially for sunset.

Tips for your visit

Morning is best: the light through the windows is soft, it's quiet and entry is free. On a sunny afternoon the rose window on the façade glows in the sun. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and keep your voice down, as the basilica is still a working parish church.

Around it is lively El Born, full of designer boutiques, wine bars and tapas. Passeig del Born, just behind the apse, buzzes in the evening, and the Picasso Museum is a few steps away. Café tables on the square in front are a good spot to admire the towers.

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How to do it right

• Free entry in the morning.
• Cover shoulders and knees.
• Look for the porters on the doors.
• El Born's bars are next door.

Questions