Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy
The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy—Barcelona’s Basílica de la Mercè—ties the city to a patronal tradition that goes back centuries. Our Lady of Mercy has been patron saint of Barcelona since 1687, and the church carries that role in stone. A first church stood on this site from 1249, but the Baroque basilica you see today was built between 1765 and 1775, designed by the Catalan architect Josep Mas i Dordal. Even its skyline presence matters: the church’s dome is crowned with a statue of Our Lady that is visible from the seaside promenade near the drassanes. The basilica also marks a milestone in Barcelona’s ecclesiastical status. It became the second church in the city to receive the title of minor basilica, after Barcelona Cathedral. That designation arrived in 1918, when Pope Benedict XV granted the title to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the apparition to St. Peter Nolasco, the founder of the Order of Mercy.
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