Santa Maria del Pi, Barcelona

Santa Maria del Pi (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsantə məˈɾi.ə ðəɫ ˈpi], meaning "St. Mary of the Pine") is a 14th-century Gothic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the Plaça del Pi, in the Barri Gòtic district of the city.

There are unsubstantiated claims that there was an early Christian church on the site in 413. However it is known that in 987 there existed a church outside the city walls and to the west of Barcelona. This was a small Romanesque church dedicated to the Blessed Lady of the Pine Tree (one of the titles of the Virgin Mary). The church was built between 1319 and 1391. The style of the church was Catalan Gothic, with a single nave almost devoid of ornamentation. However, in 1936 the church was gutted by a fire deliberately set by anarchists, who wanted to destroy the building. The church was restored following the end of the Civil War.

The front façade has a large rose window, which is a faithful 1940 reproduction of the original window, which was destroyed in the fire of 1936. Below is the Gothic arch of the main entrance.

The tympanum of the main entrance is divided by two small columns into three arched areas. In the central area is a statue of the Virgin and Child, and above this are placed the arms of the city and of the parish.

The side façade has prominent buttresses that support the weight of the arches and vault of the nave. Between each pair of buttresses is a lancet window. In the centre of this façade is the Door of Avemaria.

The rear façade also has buttresses and lancet windows that light the semi-circular apse. At the rear of the apse there is an ancient door from 1578 that previously gave access to the church via the rear façade.

Over the years the construction of neighbouring buildings has obscured the ancient walls of the church.

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Wikipedia