Walk the steps of a 14th Century Character - Arnau Estanyol

Written by MikeH

The Cathedral of the Sea, a historical novel by Spanish author Ildefonso Falcones, takes place in the 14th century Barcelona, at the time of the Inquisition, with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar as background to the story. Famine, plagues, intrigue and conspiracy combined with historical facts are well presented in this extraordinary novel whose hero and main character is Arnau Estanyol.

Porta Ferrissa Gate Representation 

Son of a young serf running away from his feudal lord, the story shows Arnau’s journey from slave to nobleman in Barcelona, highlighting the struggle between good and evil that will turn Church against State, and brother against brother. His newfound status excites jealousy from his closest collaborators and enemies, who plot his downfall with devastating consequences.

Having read this novel few years ago, I decided myself to recreate in my mind the experience of living that 14th Century Barcelona by wandering along the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera. Please accompany me in the footsteps of Arnau to discover some untouched spots since the 14th century, such as Carrer Montcada, the Jewish Quarter, the Sea Market and of course, Santa Maria del Mar. 

Santa Anna Gate  

Let us begin our literary tour at Santa Anna Street, one of the leading gates into the city. Barcelona, like many European cities, was equipped with a wall defence system. We wander along las Ramblas, stopping at Porta Ferrissa, La Boqueria and Carrer Escudellers which correspond to the other access gates to the city. This is just the beginning of a journey back in time and in all honesty, it is hard to imagine the imposing walls and gates that once stood strong, and unfortunately, no remains have survived today, with the exception of Santa Madrona gate, next to the Royal Shipyards. 

La Ribera District 

Moving on from Santa Madrona gate, we pass through the Gothic quarter, entering La Ribera district. This district covers several locations in the book beginning with the Llotja del Mar or Sea Market, which is frequented by the character Arnau in the story after he was appointed to the Consulate of the Sea. The building was built in the 14th century and is an excellent example of civil Gothic architecture which is currently the headquarters of the Official Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona. 

After a few minutes stroll we arrive at Carrer de les Dames or Ladies alley. This is an interesting laneway as single women from all walks of life paced this street waiting to find a husband from the arrival of the sailors. As legend has recorded, many of the seafarers who had encountered heavy storms promised to marry the first woman they saw on arrival in Barcelona. 

Remaining in La Ribera district, we journey on to where all the lending houses were based in Canvis Vells and Canvis Nous streets. It was the center of the currency exchange activity in the city and Arnau had his money house overlooking the square of his beloved Santa Maria del Mar. This brings us to the most spectacular place of this journey: Santa Maria Del Mar, the Cathedral of the Sea. At this stage my mind could finally recreate the city in the 14th-century. I was able to see all the inhabitants and especially the bastaixos (stone carriers), carrying the stones from Montjuic quarries to build this magnificent church. Now let’s imagine how Arnau saw the cathedral in early beginnings and how he lived to celebrate its completion. 

Standing next to Santa Maria del Mar, we walk along Carrer de Montcada. According to the novel, Genis Puig and his family had their residence on this famous street and it is here where Arnau himself eventually lived. Declared an artistic-historical heritage site in 1947, this street is today one of the most important spots of medieval civic architecture in the city. Some of the old palaces on this street are well preserved and can be visited as they play host to the prestigious Picasso, the World Cultures Museums and more. 

Plaça del Blat

Walking along Carrer de Montcada, we reach Carrer de la Princesa. This street forms the Plaça de l’Àngel, formerly Plaça del Blat, by joining with Via Laietana. Falcone’s places Bernat Estanyol’s (Arnau’s father) execution in this square, although there is no historical evidence that public executions took place on this site. It was hard for me to imagine the original size of the square as unfortunately, it has been divided into two with the construction of the Via Laietana (avenue) in the 19th century. 

Placa De l'Angel - Former Placa Del Blat

Jewish Quarter & Inquisition Palace 

Returning to the Gothic Quarter, and nearly at the end of our literary tour, we can find the Jewish Quarter or El Call, where the Jewish community lived in medieval Barcelona. It was known by this name from the 12th century. The word “Call” means “narrow street” or “lane” and it came to designate the whole set of streets inhabited by the Jews. In the novel, this is where Arnau helps the Jewish being persecuted by the crowd and also where he meets his closest friend and future business associate, Guillem, the Moor slave. Finally to conclude the tour, we can visit the Bishop’s Palace, which hosted for a period in time the Tribunal of the Inquisition. 

Dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this journey back in time through this post. Even after living in this city for over a decade, I learnt a lot about Barcelona’s history from this literary tour. If you are avid literary fans, I encourage you to read the Cathedral of the Sea and go on the adventure to discover the medieval and contemporary sides of this historical and wonderful city. 

I would like to thank MikeH for this interesting post on a book that I too enjoyed reading which will feature in the next series of Monday Book Talks. 

Santa Madrona - Only remaining wall