BEAUTIES OF THE WORLD

This enormous block of a church resides in the part of the gothic area that turns into El Born, and is one of the most impressive religious buildings not only in Barcelona but all of Spain. It is a classic example of what is known as “wide-gothic” or “Catalan-gothic” architecture – while the rest of the continent was building steep towers here they were seeing how wide they could get without the roof collapsing in on itself. Consequently the impression is one of vast loftiness. The sheer size of the building gives it a power that is magnified by the heavy stone structure and religious solemnity. If you get a chance to take in a musical performance here, grab it. The acoustics are phenomenal.