Over the centuries, Barcelona has been, and continues to be, one of the most sought-after locations in Spain for writers and film directors. Many of them have set their works in emblematic places in Barcelona, where the plot that has sprung from their imagination unfolds.
Some of the most relevant places are the Sagrada Familia, among other works by the renowned Antoni Gaudí; Las Ramblas; etc.; but one of the most outstanding in Spanish literature is the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, known as ‘Cathedral of the Sea‘, thanks to the author Ildefonso Falcones.
We recommend you to discover, in depth, this great architectural treasure. You have at your disposal Shuttle2Sun‘s shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, to Barcelona, from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Reus airport, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
How the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar was built
To understand the work of Ildefonso Falcones, it is necessary to dive a little into the history of the temple, as well as its prominence in La Ribera district. The Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona is also known as the cathedral of La Ribera, and now you will understand why.
During the 14th century, Barcelona experienced an exponential growth in its population and, consequently, also in its surface area. This was due to the expansion of the Crown of Aragon towards the sea, making the present-day city of Barcelona one of the most important ports in this part of the Mediterranean Sea.
The increase in maritime activity led to an increase in the population dedicated to this activity, converting the area closest to the port into La Ribera neighbourhood. In this place, we would find, especially, fishermen, sailors and traders, among others.
The demographic growth of this district of Barcelona encouraged the need for a larger church than the existing one, known as Santa Maria de les Arenes, in Romanesque style. This is why, thanks to ecclesiastical support, it was decided to build the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, starting in 1329, a beautiful project that would highlight the great wealth of the district.
After only 54 years, the new church already had an enviable Gothic majesty. It was built under the direction of the master builders Berenguer de Montagut and Ramon Despuig, with the free collaboration of many construction workers and residents of the neighbourhood. Its construction was completed in 1384 and, due to the short construction time, it is the only church whose structure and elements are in pure Catalan Gothic style.
If you want to know more about the different places of worship you can find in Barcelona, don’t miss our post “10 churches to visit in Barcelona“.
Get to Barcelona with Shuttle2Sun‘s low-cost and sustainable shared transfer services and private transfer services, available from Barcelona Airport, Barcelona Port, Reus Airport, Girona Airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
Ildefonso Falcones and his Cathedral of the Sea
One of the writers who was attracted by the charm of this basilica was Ildefonso Falcones, who christened the temple “The Cathedral of the Sea”, the same name as his trilogy, which refers to the seaside neighbourhood of La Ribera.
Ildefonso María Falcones de Sierra, a Spanish lawyer and writer, wrote his first novel, the first volume of the famous trilogy, in 2006, which quickly became a literary success in Spain and, in a short time, spread to more than 30 countries.
Falcones sets his first work in the Middle Ages, during the construction of the new church in Barcelona, his hometown. He puts himself in the shoes of young Arnau Estanyol, a serf who flees the abuses of his feudal lord, to live in Barcelona, where the basilica becomes a key element in the life of the protagonist.
Following the great success of his novel, a TV series based on his book was broadcast in 2018, starring Spaniards Aitor de Luna, Michelle Jenner and Daniel Grao.
More curiosities of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
Among the many curiosities of this magnificent basilica, it is worth mentioning that the place where it is located, previously housed a Roman amphitheatre, as well as a Roman necropolis, during the 4th and 6th centuries.
If you want to enjoy a different panoramic view of the city, you can’t miss going up to its terraces.
To do so, you will have to climb the stairs inside the twin bell towers on either side of the temple’s façade.
On the other hand, the exuberant rose window that we see today on its façade is a reconstruction of the original one, which was destroyed during the strongest earthquake ever felt in Catalonia, in 1428, which caused the collapse of numerous buildings in the city and the rest of the Catalan territory.
This earthquake left other marks on the construction, causing the cracks to open and close, especially in summer, with the thermal oscillations, as well as probably causing the existing inclination of the two exterior towers.
Likewise, if you visit the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, we encourage you to look for a very striking element in its stained-glass windows: the badge of Futbol Club Barcelona, one of the most important national and international football teams. Will you find it?
Barcelona, in Spanish and universal literature
Barcelona has been featured in numerous literary works, such as “Painter of Souls”, also by Ildefonso Falcones; “The Cemetery of Forgotten Books”, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón; “Nada”, by Carmen Laforet; and “City of Wonders”, by Eduardo Mendoza, among many others.
If you are a lover of literature, don’t think twice and dive into the past of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, travel to Barcelona and experience its history first hand! Remember that with the shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, offered by Shuttle2Sun, you can get to the Catalan capital from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Reus airport, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
