Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
Barcelona Cathedral – the religious persecution of 1936
Repression & memory site
The story
In the first months after the military rising was defeated in Barcelona on 19–20 July 1936, a wave of revolutionary violence swept the Republican zone. Priests, monks, nuns and Catholic laypeople were among its main victims, and many churches were burned. Most of the killings were carried out by militia patrols and 'control committees' outside any legal process; the Generalitat and the Republican government gradually reined them in from late 1936. The cathedral is a place to reflect on this violence against the Church in Barcelona in 1936; some of the diocese's clergy killed then have since been beatified.
What you can see today
The Gothic cathedral and its cloister on Carrer del Bisbe. Earlier versions of this guide mentioned a memorial chapel to the clergy killed in 1936; it has not been independently confirmed, so ask at the cathedral.
Plan your visit
Inside or next to the cathedral; entry to parts of the cathedral requires a ticket outside worship hours; be respectful during services.
- Open
- Tourist visit Mon–Fri 09:30–18:30; Sat & religious eves 09:30–17:15; Sun & religious hols 14:00–17:00 (last entry 45 min before)
- Price
- Tourist visit €16
Checked September 2026 from official sources: catedralbcn.org. Things change, so check before you travel.
Sources
- tracesofwar.com/sights/90561/Martyrs-Chapel.htm
- tracesofwar.com/sights/90561/Martyrs-Chapel.htm
- tracesofwar.com/sights/90374/Memorial-Murdered-Clergymen-Basilica-de-Santa-Maria.htm
Nearby sites
- Plaça de Sant Felip Neri (bombing of 30 January 1938) · under 1 km
- Teatre Poliorama, La Rambla (Orwell's rooftop) · under 1 km
- Telefónica building & Plaça de Catalunya (May Days 1937) · under 1 km
- Refugi 307, Poble-sec (MUHBA) · 2 km
- Castell de Montjuïc · 2 km
- Fossar de la Pedrera, Montjuïc · 4 km
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The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
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