dornyxfacts
Watch on Instagram ↗
Barcelona Cathedral · Architecture

The cathedral's "medieval" face is younger than the Sagrada Família

The front of Barcelona Cathedral was drawn in the 1400s and built in the 1880s.

Checked: true

The story holds up against the record.

Published · checked against 8 sources
Part one · in the video's line art style

The legend says

Barcelona's most medieval-looking front is younger than the Sagrada Família.

The cathedral itself is truly Gothic. But for centuries, its front stayed unfinished.

Just a plain wall with a door, while the city waited.

A medieval master builder had drawn a design for it. It was never built.

Then a banker, Manuel Girona, offered to pay for all of it.

Work started in eighteen eighty-seven. The Sagrada Família's first stone went down in eighteen eighty-two.

Stone by stone, the lace went up, based on that old medieval drawing.

Later, his children paid for the tall central spire.

The Middle Ages everyone photographs here were paid for by a banker.

This is the story as it is told. We tell it as a story. Below is what the record holds.

But
Part two

The record shows

10 facts, each checked against a source we opened. Tap a source to read the line that carries it.

  1. 01

    The Sagrada Família's first stone was laid on 19 March 1882

    1sagradafamilia.org, history of the temple
    On 19 March, Bishop Urquinaona lays the cornerstone of the Temple
    2blog.sagradafamilia.org
    On that day in 1882, the first stone was laid in the temple
  2. 02

    Work on the cathedral's main façade began on 4 July 1887 (finished 12 February 1890)

    3arquitecturacatalana.cat
    Construction finally began on 4 July 1887 and was completed on 12 February 1890
    4ca.wikipedia, "Catedral de Barcelona"
    van començar el 4 de juliol del 1887 i es van acabar el 12 de febrer del 1890
  3. 03

    So the front is younger than the Sagrada Família (1887 is after 1882)

    1sagradafamilia.org, history of the temple
    On 19 March, Bishop Urquinaona lays the cornerstone of the Temple
    3arquitecturacatalana.cat
    Construction finally began on 4 July 1887
  4. 04

    The cathedral itself is Gothic, begun in 1298, mostly finished by the mid-15th century

    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    The present Gothic cathedral was started on the foundations of the previous churches on 1 May 1298
  5. 05

    For centuries before that, the front was a plain, unfinished wall

    3arquitecturacatalana.cat
    the façade remained a simple wall with a doorway, windows, and steps
    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the undistinguished exterior
    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    a simple west façade completed in 1417
  6. 06

    A medieval master builder (Carlí, from Rouen) had drawn a design for the front, which was never built

    3arquitecturacatalana.cat
    created a design for the main façade that was never executed, likely due to lack of funds
    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    original fifteenth-century design prepared by master Carlí
    4ca.wikipedia, "Catedral de Barcelona"
    el Carlí
  7. 07

    Manuel Girona was a banker

    6Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
    Banquer
    7ca.wikipedia, "Manuel Girona i Agrafel"
    va ser un banquer, empresari i polític català
  8. 08

    Girona offered to pay for, and paid for, the façade

    6Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
    Pagà la façana de la catedral de Barcelona
    8History Hit
    offered to pay for the work on the façade and its two side towers
  9. 09

    The new front was based on that old medieval design, reworked by the architect Josep Oriol Mestres

    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    original fifteenth-century design prepared by master Carlí … rearranged and drawn by the architect Josep Oriol Mestres
  10. 10

    Later, his children paid for the central spire (the cimbori)

    3arquitecturacatalana.cat
    his children, Manel and Anna, did the same for the lantern tower
    8History Hit
    Mr. Girona's children completed their father's business with the construction of the dome
    5en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
    completed in 1913 by Girona's children

Timeline

On recordTradition only
  1. 1298-05-01A Gothic cathedralThe present Gothic cathedral is started on the foundations of earlier churches.
  2. 1417A plain west frontA simple west façade is completed: a wall with a doorway, windows and steps.
  3. 15th centuryCarlí's designMaster Carlí draws a design for the main façade. It is never built.
  4. 1882-03-19Sagrada Família's first stoneThe cornerstone of the Sagrada Família is laid.
  5. 1887-07-04Work on the front beginsPaid for by the banker Manuel Girona, on Carlí's design reworked by Josep Oriol Mestres.
  6. 1890-02-12The front is finishedThe new main façade is completed.

Left out on purpose

What we chose not to say in the video, and why. If a comment says "you forgot…", the answer is probably here.

"Paid for by a 19th-century drawing" (from the brief)

The drawing was medieval, only reworked in the 19th century, so the video says "that old medieval drawing".

The spire's year

Sources split between 1912 (arquitecturacatalana.cat, ca.wikipedia) and 1913 (en.wikipedia, History Hit), and a third number would break the budget anyway. No year on the spire beat.

"400 years" (from the brief)

It was about four and a half centuries (1417/1420 to 1887), and it is a third number. The video says "for centuries".

"The money never came" as a plain claim

The one source says only "likely" lack of funds, so the line says the design "was never built".

Carlí, Mestres and Font by name

One name in the whole video (Manuel Girona) keeps it to the banker angle.

Numbers other than 1887 and 1882

Numbers in the whole video, narration and screen: "1887" and "1882", nothing else.

From DornyxDornyx Stories Interactive history you can live through. Barcelona and beyond.Explore Dornyx Stories →
Read the video's transcript

Leo Barcelona's most medieval-looking front is younger than the Sagrada Família.

Sara The cathedral itself is truly Gothic. But for centuries, its front stayed unfinished.

Leo Just a plain wall with a door, while the city waited.

Sara A medieval master builder had drawn a design for it. It was never built.

Leo Then a banker, Manuel Girona, offered to pay for all of it.

Sara Work started in eighteen eighty-seven. The Sagrada Família's first stone went down in eighteen eighty-two.

Leo Stone by stone, the lace went up, based on that old medieval drawing.

Sara Later, his children paid for the tall central spire.

Leo The Middle Ages everyone photographs here were paid for by a banker.

Sara Stories first, facts follow. Follow Dornix.

Sources

  1. sagradafamilia.org, history of the temple
  2. blog.sagradafamilia.org
  3. arquitecturacatalana.cat
  4. ca.wikipedia, "Catedral de Barcelona"
  5. en.wikipedia, "Barcelona Cathedral"
  6. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
  7. ca.wikipedia, "Manuel Girona i Agrafel"
  8. History Hit

Photo credits

Found a mistake? Send us your source. If it holds, we correct this page and note the change here.