Description of the attraction
Santa Maria del Pi is a cathedral located in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, in Plaza del Pi. The cathedral was built in the Catalan Gothic style from 1319-1320 to 1391. There is evidence that this cathedral was erected on the site of another Christian church, built in 987 outside the existing city walls.
The Church of Santa Maria del Pi is rectangular in plan, with a semicircular apse on the side of the rear façade, and chapels on the sides of the church. In the period from 1379 to 1461, an octagonal bell tower with a height of 54 meters was erected next to the church, designed by Bartolomeu Mac.
The main facade of the building is decorated with a large rosette-window, under which there is the main entrance, made in the form of a beautiful pointed arch and decorated in the upper part of it with a sculptural image of the Virgin Mary, as well as the coats of arms of Catalonia and Barcelona. The lower edge of the arch is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the Virgin Mary and the Apostles.
The altar that exists inside the church today was created in 1967. Previous altars were destroyed by wars.
In 1373 and 1428, the church was subjected to earthquakes, as a result of which it was significantly damaged. In 1717, the building was damaged by the war. In 1936, during the Civil War, the church was practically destroyed, after which it was rebuilt with changes. In 2009-2010, serious restoration work was carried out in the church building with funds allocated by the Government of Catalonia and the Archdiocese of Barcelona.
