Tourist Attraction in Barcelona:
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced y San Miguel Arcángel

The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy, the Basilica is dedicated to the Madonna della Mercede, patron saint of Barcelona, ​​and is one of the most representative churches of the city. The Order of Santa Maria della Mercede was founded in Barcelona in 1218, on the initiative of Pietro Nolasco and Raimondo di Peñafort, with the support of Giacomo I of Aragon, initially as a brotherhood that took care of the Hospital of Santa Eulalia, while in 1235, it was approved as a religious order, thanks to the intercession of the Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Berenguer de Palou II, with Pope Gregory IX. In 1232 Pietro Nolasco bought some lands that had previously belonged to Giacomo I of Aragon, between the old city and the sea where Raimondo di Peñafort built a hospital there. Between 1249 and 1267 they built a place of worship dedicated to the Virgin Mary, precursor of the current basilica. In the centuries in Barcelona the devotion to the Madonna della Mercede increased, so that the community of devotees decided to build a temple on the remains of the previous church, entrusting the works to the architect José Mas Dordal, works that began in 1765. In 1918, Pope Benedict XV grants him the title of minor basilica. The church is characterized by a Latin cross plan, with four chapels on both sides, with a dome at the intersection between the nave and the transept. The main entrance portal is flanked by two Corinthian-style columns, which support a cornice, above which there is a semicircular pediment. The high altar, built in 1794, was designed by the Valencian architect Vincent Marro. Text processing: Giovambattista Spagnuolo (Myooni)

Attractions in Barcelona