Barcelona Cathedral’s Pietà: A Gothic Masterpiece with a Secret Past

Hi friends! Today, we stroll down one of those shadowed medieval streets that can still surprise even the most seasoned Barcelona walker — el carrer de la Pietat. It’s a place where history is carved into stone… or, in this case, molded in resin.

The famous tympanum that’s not what it seems

Visitors flock to the Gothic Quarter for its cobblestone charm, intricate façades, and the hushed coolness of cloisters. Right where carrer de la Pietat meets the side of Barcelona’s Cathedral, above a sealed doorway into the cloister, you’ll see a striking relief: Mary cradling the lifeless body of Christ, symbols of the Passion clustered around them, and, kneeling humbly in the corner, the canónigo Berenguer Vila — the man who commissioned the piece in the late 15th century.

For decades, most assumed they were looking at the real medieval carving. In truth, what you see today is a replica. The original — carved in oak by the German sculptor Michael Lochner — rests safely inside the Museu Diocesà.

From Gothic Germany to the streets of Barcelona

Michael Lochner wasn’t just any itinerant craftsman. Arriving in Barcelona in the late 1400s, he brought with him the stylistic language of German Gothic art — sharp folds in garments, expressive faces, and a heightened emotional realism. Alongside the Pietat, Lochner is credited with works inside the Cathedral choir and a now-lost retable of Sant Pere for Premià de Dalt, destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.

The Pietat was once in place over this very door until one night, decades ago, thieves tried to prise it from the wall. The plot was foiled by the Guardia Urbana, but the scare convinced Cathedral officials to replace it with a resin copy. Some whisper the attempt bore the signature of the infamous art thief Erik el Belga, though the link has never been officially proven.

Carrer de la Pietat: a medieval artery

Carrer de la Pietat is more than just the stone backdrop to this story. Winding along the northern flank of the Cathedral, the street owes its name to the very sculpture we’ve been talking about. Historical records place it as part of the medieval precinct known as the barri de la Sede, home to clergy, scribes, and artisans linked to the Cathedral works.

In medieval times, the street was a service corridor between the ecclesiastical quarter and the episcopal palace. Here, merchants brought stone, wood, and supplies; choristers and canons passed between the cloister and their dwellings. Narrow, shaded, and somewhat secretive, carrer de la Pietat retains that hushed quality today — a whispering path between centuries.

The cloister: oasis and symbol

The cloister of Barcelona Cathedral, accessed from the main nave or through side doors like the one beneath the Pietat, is a world apart from the bustle outside. Built between the 14th and 15th centuries, it surrounds a garden filled with palms, orange trees, and the famous gaggle of white geese — 13 in number, symbolizing the age at which Saint Eulàlia was martyred.

For clergy, the cloister was a spiritual and practical center — a place for processions, chapter meetings, and quiet contemplation. For us modern visitors, it is a stone-walled time capsule. Standing inside, you can almost hear the echo of sandals on flagstones and the distant peal of bells.

Stories in stone

The Pietat portal isn’t the only sculptural treasure along this street. Look up and you’ll spot gargoyles — dragons, grotesques, and even more playful creatures — jutting from the buttresses. Their function was practical (to drain rainwater) but their artistry, like Lochner’s work, was deeply tied to the imagination of the time.

Other chapels inside the cloister bear coats of arms from Barcelona’s guilds, reminders that the Cathedral’s grandeur was as much a civic as a religious endeavor.

A walk worth slowing for

For photographers, carrer de la Pietat offers layered perspectives — arches framing arches, light filtering between stones, and the drama of the Pietat relief catching the sun at certain hours. Knowing that the carving is a replica doesn’t diminish its power. In fact, it adds a layer of intrigue: a secret between the city and those who care to look closer.

And here lies the essence of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter — beauty woven with stories, some whispered in archives, others hidden in plain sight.

So next time you pass the Cathedral, slip down carrer de la Pietat. Pause before the Pietat. And think of the hands that shaped it five centuries ago, the near-loss that prompted its retreat indoors, and the quiet street that still bears its name.

Sant Jordi Fountain Faucet at Barcelona Cathedral Cloister

La Font de Sant Jordi (Saint George Fountain), of which Barcelona Photoblog brings you this faucet detail, is one of the most renown fountains in the city as it is part of the impressive cloister at Barcelona Cathedral, perhaps the second most visited sacred place after Sagrada Familia. 

Although the gothic Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, built in 150 years, is appealing enough once you set foot on the main nave it wouldn't be that remarkable without its cloister, a well-balanced quiet place, where light, water plants, magnolias, palm trees, geese and medieval fountains create that utmost joyous design that we now prefer to call feng shui. 

The fountain as such, crowned by a 1970 figure (by Emili Colom) of Sant Jordi on his horse on top of a mossy rock, was built under the supervision of architect Andreu Escuder in 1449. Nevertheless, the water was spouting here directly from the mountain of Collserola since 1356. 

This octogonal shaped architectural piece is no ordinary fountain, not only because of these beautiful faucets with intriguing faces that might as well represent archangels or demons on whose rump a small kid figure seems to be riding a bird or a horse (this can be the subject of rivers of ink for an unleashed imagination), but because since 1637 during every Corpus Christi Feast it is adorned with flowers and an empty egg that dances frantically on the water jet. Such tradition is known as L'ou com balla (previous post).

Here are some more pictures of the Fountain of Sant Jordi.

Astrolabe sculpture, Plaça del Sol, Barri de Grácia, Barcelona

One of the most beautiful squares in the bohemian Barri de Gràcia in Barcelona is Plaça del Sol

This square was built in 1840 and has a surface area of ​​2,502 m2. There used to be a bomb shelter in this place during the Civil War but it was demolished during the latest urban renewal in the area back in 1986 led by architects Jaume Bach and Gabriel Mora Gramunt who placed this nice sculpture called Astrolabe by Joaquim Camps on one side of the square.

Plaça del Sol (Sun square) is surrounded by streets such as Lluna (Moon) and Planeta (planet) in accordance with the astronomy related theme used by the architects.

Sculptural group Folk Song by Miquel Blay, Palau de la Música, Barcelona, Spain

Sculptural group Cançó Popular (Folk Song) by Miquel Blay at one corner of the façade in Palau de la Música Catalana.

The group is dominated by the figure of Sant Jordi, patron of Catalonia holding a senyera (our flag) and a sword.

In the very center there is a young lady singing and surrounded by common people, workers, men, women and children.

To learn more about the building, the artists and the historic background, please check these previous posts in Barcelona Photoblog:

• The Pillars of Catalan Art Nouveau
• Woman and Child Detail - Folk Song Sculpture
• Stained Glass Ceiling at Palau de la Musica
• Muses at Palau de la Musica Concert Hall

Aurora and Chariot: Golden Horses Detail

I had promised to continue with the full story on the Cascade fountain in Ciutadella park but I was busy and chose another detail of one of the many elements in the sculptural group and monument: the horses drawing Aurora's Chariot. Aurora obviously is not on sight due to this low angle. The fact is that the lady is only visible from the square in front of the cascade. I was not carrying the proper lens to zoom in so I had to come closer. By the way, Aurora is the name Romans gave to Eos the dawn goddess according to Greek mythology. Notice: there is also a renown art deco wall relief by the name The Chariot of Aurora and also just to make a bad joke, Eos has nothing to do with Canon.

Modernist Sculpture inside Sant Pau Hospital, Barcelona

This is another image taken inside Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau built by Domenech i Montaner.

You can see here a detail of one of the sculptures by Eusebi Arnau and Pau Gargallo.

Notice the sober angular cuts which evoke those in the sculptural groups by Josep Maria Subirachs in the Passion façade (Sagrada Familia)

Monument to the Martyrs of 1809, Barri Gotic. Barcelona

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The Fountain of the Frog - Sculpture Detail, Diagonal Av., Barcelona

This is a detail of what is known as Font de la Granota (fountain of the frog) on the corner of Diagonal Avenue and Corsega street. You don't see it here but the hands belong to a little boy who is lying on top as if by the bank of a river holding a frog or rather squeezing it to make water pour from its mouth. It was sculpted by Josep Campeny i Santamaria (Igualada, 1858 - Barcelona, 1922) in 1912. To have an idea check this low quality image of the fountain.

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Coqueta The Giraffe, A Curious Sculpture at Rambla Catalunya

They say sequels are never better than the original movie. This is the second time that Coqueta, the Giraffe stars in Barcelona Photoblog and I am almost sure this time you'll appreciate its beauty much better. Lots of images in this blog during the first year were taken with a lousy camera and besides there was the well known blogger picture size restriction problem. I did my best then but my gear evolved and so did my photographs. I just hope in the future I am able to give bad reviews about my past work, that would mean everything is getting better. As Socrates said, "true wisdom lies in recognizing one’s own ignorance". In case you want to know more about Coqueta sculpture or Josep Granyer the sculptor please visit my previous posts: Posing Giraffe and Bull by Josep Granyer.

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A Gaudian Sculpture Near Sagrada Familia Ceiling

As usual it is hard to crop Gaudi's work. I spotted this weird modernist sculpture near the ceiling at Sagrada Familia. Unlike the ones outside this one is black. I suppose it is some kind of allusion to the Black Virgin called La Moreneta, the patroness of Catalonia but this is just a suggestion of mine.

Barcelona City of Angels

Not that I ever counted all the angels in Barcelona! I just wanted to use a poetic license to honor my city and what better than this angel you can admire right after you leave Sant Jaume square on your way down Carrer de la Ciutat. You will find a small set of stairs to your right and voilà.

Priest Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

To complete the scene here is the other religious icon located to the right of the sculpture in my previous post: Religious Sculpture in Pedralbes Monastery

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Gaudi Animals on Nativity Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

Weird creatures contemplate tourists from above while they visit Sagrada Familia cathedral. Animal sculptures, so common in Gaudi's art nouveau buildings, accentuate the mysterious halo around the temple mixing up Paganism and Christianity with unusual harmony according to my humble and lay appreciation of course.

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Detail of Faith Hallway or Entry in the Nativity Façade, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

This is a detail of the Faith hallway or entry located to the right of the Nativity façade in Sagrada Familia. It is an image of Jesus in his carpenter work bench. To get a better idea examine other sculptures from this façade featured in Barcelona Photoblog in the past: Turtle Holding Pillar, Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, Herod's soldiers Slaying Children and Adoration of the Magi

Gold Fish by Frank O. Ghery, Barcelona

The Gold Fish or Peix D'Or by Frank O.Ghery near Hotel Arts and Paseo Marítimo is located in the middle of a complex of restaurants, shops and discos known as the Olympic Port which is one of the most visited spots in the city specially at night. Check a previous post with the Gold Fish silhouette in the distance. The sculpture built in 1992 for the Olympic games acts as a canopy for some of the restaurants and a fountain in the underground floor.

A Closer Look on Igor Mitoraj's Sculpture

A close look, a very close look in fact and I meant literally, not that I am going to make an essay on Mitoraj. I believe that I have said everything within my reach about this Polish-German sculptor in recent posts. I just wanted to experiment with this head called Polvere d'Oriente made in 1990. Seen from this angle it looks like some Pascua monolyth or ancient God. According to some sources this man represents Buddha.

Statue of Naked Woman At Montjuic Castle in Barcelona

On top of Montjuic mountain from where you have a privileged view of Barcelona there is a fortress as it is common at the entrance of bays. It is the Montjuic castle which I will deal with on some other occasion since it doesn't show in the picture. There is an esplanade with some huge canons and in the middle of this heavy artillery you come across a statue of a naked woman which honors the memory of Gaspar de Portolà the first California governor. Besides the weapons museum which is inside the castle and the canons all the rest around the statue (as you can see in the background), the view, the cleaner atmosphere and the sea breeze (that you don't see but it is easy to imagine) creates a special sense of bliss which is highly recommended after a hard day's walk downtown. I have to point out that my colleague Valery of BCN Daily and Trujillo had published this statue not long ago and we overlapped without me knowing it, that's good cause now you can enjoy the same place twice. Please visit his site to check his work too.

Here is the photograph geotagged at Flickr.

Nativity Portal at Sagrada Familia: Equilibrium and Chaos

I will be brief cause I am behind schedule in my daily posting. This is a detail of the Nativity Portal at Sagrada Familia. The façade as you know is full of sculptoric groups such as the one in the picture. Each of these groups is well balanced in composition and proportions but when you take some steps back and take a look at the whole building you face up with an authentic chaos of animals, saints and mythological beings. Maybe there is harmony in this chaos but if there isn't you never really care. The work of a genius sometimes is whimsical and hard to understand that's why we consider them unique.

Lorenzo Quinn: Beer Pump Sculpture for Barcelona Auditorium

One of the most artistic and impressive beer pumps I have ever seen (I've seen many!) is this sculpture that Lorenzo Quinn dedicated to L'Auditori of Barcelona (Barcelona Auditorium).

The bronze sinewy arm holding a golden jar of San Miguel beer is just a tiny drop in the vast collection of the famous sculptor born in Rome in 1966, son of Anthony Quinn and Jolanda Addolori and brother of four.

At present he lives in Barcelona with his wife Giovanna and their two sons, Christopher and Nicolás.

He studied art at the American Academy of Fine Arts in New York.

Twisted Shapes: An Approach to Rebecca Horn's Sculpture

This metallic cubic sculpture was made by the artist Rebecca Horn and it is a distinctive feature of La Barceloneta beach next to the quarter by the same name. Before showing my first photograph about this work I had seen it portrayed in a thousand ways. If you try to capture it as is, early or late during the day, when there is no one, it may look rather dull but the presence of people add up to the structure a little bit. It occurred to me that this man in that strange pose and the arched building maintained some awkward parallelism. On second thought now, I think that his fortune might be as twisted as the building itself, I just wish I was in a mistake. I remember someone said here that sometimes we tag people with our pictures without even knowing what their real conditions are. That is absolutely true.

ou get a better idea in this Google Earth Map View of La Barceloneta Quarter and the tiny metallic sculpture by the beach.