A FRESH LOOK AT GAUDI

The third major restoration of Gaudi’s Casa Mila (nicknamed La Pedrera, the stone quarry) was finished at the end of 2014. For the previous 11 months scaffolding and netting obscured the amazing exterior. Visits include the roof with its astounding chimneys, the attic housing architectural models and audiovisual material, a period-style apartment and the former residence of the Mila family. Arrange a visit online at: www.lapedrera.com. The Cafe de la Pedrera, open to all from 8.30 to midnight, offers a tour package, The Secret Pedrera, combining dinner with a visit of the building for €55. To book: phone +34 93 488 01 76

Barcelona’s cathedral, the church at which the Bishop preaches, is not the Sagrada Familia as many suppose; it is the Church of the Holy Cross and of St Eulalia. Begun in 1298, over the crypt of a former church and completed 150 years later, its neo-gothic facade was added during the late 19th Century. Visit the interior of the cathedral to admire the 15th Century choir stalls, the magnificent organ and the few but sumptuous treasures in the church museum. Even more widely admired is the cloister, completed in 1448, which harbours 13 white geese. Free entry to the church and cloister, except for some hours in the afternoon when a €6 donation is requested. See the cathedral’s website at: www.palauguell.cat

The first mass in the church of the Sagrada Familia took place in 2000 to mark the millennium but regular masses did not begin until 2010. Now the building that is Barcelona’s most popular tourist attraction is also a parochial church with mass celebrated daily in the crypt. A timetable is published on the website at: www.sagradafamilia.cat. Entrance for these ceremonies is at Carrer Sardenya. Approximately once a month mass is celebrated at the high altar of the basilica. Times are subject to change and to attend you must hold an invitation. For upcoming dates and to apply for an invitation, contact the “Seminari Conciliar”, Diputació Street, 231. Open 10.00-12.00 and 16.00-20.00.
Phone: +34 934 54 16 0