After a steady diet of Gaudi, it was such sweet respite to find this church, the Santa Maria Del Mar. Yes, I found another gothic church to sit in – it’s an excellent place to rest weary feet and souls. There are plenty of cafe chairs to occupy in Barcelona, but they require the purchase of a drink or some tapas, and city benches are sparse. So church it is!
As you can no doubt tell, I love to see gothic arches. There is something about the rhythm of them that just makes me happy. And this church, Saint Mary of the Ocean, is a fine example of 14thC Catalan Gothic. Its architecture has a lot of harmony because it was built in 60 short years. Eight euros got me a lovely guided tour, and a chance to climb one of the towers. I was able to walk along the rooftops, feet away from all the pretty windows. What a thrill!
A side aisle:
The nave and rose window from the choir behind the altar:
Over the altar:
Some stained glass, up close:
Main view of the nave:
One of the reasons the nave is so simply adorned is that during the Spanish Civil War, the church was one of many set on fire. All of the wooden ornamentation inside burned, and some of the windows melted. The wood has never been restored, alowing the clean lines of the Catalan Gothic to be seen.
The windows, from the roof!
A more recent bell tower:
The facade – it’s on a tiny square, so hard to fit into a camera frame!
This church was built for the sailors and merchants of the area, and the stones were carried from Montjuic, nearby, by the port stevedores. I think this might be my favorite in Barcelona.
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