Santa Maria del Mar - Barcelona, Spain - Literary Sites on Waymarking.com

The Site:
Santa Maria del Mar is an imposing church in the Ribera district of Barcelona, Spain, built between 1329 and 1383 at the height of Catalonia's maritime and mercantile preeminence. It is an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic, with a purity and unity of style that are very unusual in large mediaeval buildings.

The first mention of a church of Santa Maria by the sea dates from 998. The construction of the present building was promoted by the canon Bernat Llull, who was appointed Archdean of Santa Maria in 1324. Construction work started on 25 March 1329, when the foundation stone was laid by king Alfonso IV of Aragon, as commemorated by a tablet in Latin and Catalan on the facade that gives onto Fossar de les Moreres. The architects in charge were Berenguer de Montagut (designer of the building) and Ramon Despuig, and during the construction all the guilds of the Ribera quarter were involved. The walls, the side chapels and the facades were finished by 1350. In 1379 there was a fire that damaged important parts of the works. Finally, on 3 November 1383 the last stone was added and on 15 August the first mass was celebrated. In 1428 an earthquake caused several casualties and destroyed the rose window in the west end. The new window, in the Flamboyant style, was finished by 1459 and one year later the glass was added. The images and the Baroque altar were destroyed in a fire in 1936. The chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, adjacent to the apse, was added in the 19th century.
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The Book:
Cathedral of the Sea is a historical novel by Spanish author Ildefonso Falcones. The action takes place in 14th century Barcelona at the height of the Inquisition, with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar serving as background to the story.

Plot summary:
The book is set in Barcelona and its main character is Arnau Estanyol, the son of a fugitive serf who obtains freedom and eventually achieves a high status.

The novel has won several literary awards including:
Euskadi de Plata 2006 (Spain)
The Qué Leer Award (Spain)
Giovanni Boccaccio 2007 award (Italy)
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The Author:
Ildefonso Falcones (born 1958) is a Spanish lawyer and writer from Barcelona.
He became famous with the historical thriller Cathedral of the Sea, published in 2006, and set in medieval Barcelona. His second novel is La mano de Fátima (2009).
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Short Description: Santa Maria del Mar is an imposing church in the Ribera district of Barcelona. Book Title: La catedral del mar First Year Published: 2006 Author's Name: Ildefonso Falcones Name of Waymarked Item: Santa Maria del Mar Location of Item: City of Barcelona More Information: The action takes place in 14th century Barcelona at the height of the Inquisition, with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar serving as background to the story. http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/4f2633ac-f930-49ad-8eb5-0debebd146ca.JPG Admission Price?: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Link to more information about the book or waymarked item.: [Web Link]

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