Description

Shepherd Entertainment takes you on a tour of the Santa Maria del Pi Church in Barcelona, which was named after the pine tree that once stood nearby.

Transcript

The natives of Barcelona were the Laietans who were a tribe of Celtic origin. Their name is kept by the Via Laietana which lies on the border of the old gothic and the modern parts of the city. There is the statue of king – on this avenue. The work of Josep Ymona commemorates the king who for a short time unified Catalonia with Provence. The Catalonian language of our days is closer to the Provencal and contains more French elements that Spanish. The city core was built on the Taber Hill. 600 years later, the Romans surrounded the area with a 1270m long 9m high 3.5m thick wall which was also protected by 78 towers and bastions. There are some Arabian and Roman relics but the gothic quarter is mostly similar to the medieval city as it was seen by the victims of the catholic king’s inquisition. The Sta. Maria del Mar Temple on the seaside part of the gothic district is a beautiful example of the Spanish gothic style. Its painted windows and inner domes are an amazing sight. The most famous sight of the gothic quarter is the St. Eulalia Cathedral. Its building began in 1298. During the 150 years of its construction, many great artists worked on it. In the first 20 years, the work was organized by Juan Fabra, the temple has three knaves, a transept and a shrine. Its façade is the work of French architect Shah Galt. The façade looking to the Plaza de los Sur was a generous gift of Don Manuel Girona in the 19th century. The cathedral is typical of the Catalonian gothic style with its horizontal proportions, smooth surfaces and flat roof. However, none of this can be seen since the cathedral is being renovated. There’s no hope for tourists to see its full beauty before 2010. The interior is 82m long. At the end of the main knave, the abscess, there’s the crypt of St. Eulalia, there are tombs of saints and bishops in the 28 chapels the christening chapel was the one where the six Indians were christened who were brought back to Europe by Columbus. There’s a blackened Christ statue in the first chapel which was on the Victoria ship of Don Juan de Austria in the battle of Lepanto. Above the balcony of the cannon, there’s the crest of the order of the Golden Fleece. The order was established by Duke Philip III of Burgundy in 1429 to protect faith, virtue and morals. The honor which still exists is maybe the oldest and least frequently given one in the world. The right of bestowal has been owned by the Hapsburg family since 1477. The cloister can be accessed through an 11th century Roman style marble gate. The yard, full of palm trees and evergreens is surrounded by arches. The chapels opening from here are closed by iron bars. The pavilion of St. George is ornamented by a relief of the saint and a fountain. It’s worth taking a look at the medieval exhibition of the museum. The museum gets richer and richer every year. The material is filling up the –office, the – room and the two rooms beneath that. The most valuable relics of the Pieta by Memeo, the 15th century wooden panel picture of the saints and a carved painted Virgin Mary statue. The square in front of the cathedral is famous for the sardana dance. It happens quite often that at the sound of a whistle or a flute, complete strangers hold hands and start a slow round dance while more and more people join them. This dance isn’t about strong tramping. It isn’t quick and passionate but symbolizes the togetherness of the Catalonian people. The closed circle is the symbol of the unity compared to the outside world. However, if a stranger comes to the circle, it opens up and admits him. They welcome everyone who’s willing to understand them. This was written by Norbert Luewendofski. The cathedral is surrounded by buildings so tightly as no other temple. The temple is connected by the St. Lucia chapel to the Calle Obispo. The help of St. Lucia is required mostly for problems related to the eyes. Blind people of Barcelona hold their annual ball in the cloister of the cathedral. There are so many religious buildings in the gothic quarter that it’s hard to name them all. The palace of the deacon, the palace of the bishop, the temple of St. Philip Romulo Neri, the temple of St. Severus, the – house, the temple of St. Eustace and the good Shepherd, the St. Agatha chapel, the house of the charitable almoners. Among profane buildings, the city hall, the provincial office, the governor’s palace and the gallery of Catalonian excellences stand out. Each of them has an inner yard with arches decorated by glazed tiles and cooled by fountains with palm trees in the yards. In the longest part of the medieval period, the Balear Islands, Valencia, Sardinia, and Corsica were ruled by the Aragon Catalonian kingdom paying their income tax to Barcelona. During the reign of Ferdinand II, the maritime power of the kingdom became much stronger. The religious, military, political and diplomatic power reigned in these palaces until the 18th century.