Barcelona Cathedral, the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, sits on the site of an ancient Roman basilica built in 343 A.D. Attacking Moors destroyed the basilica in 985. The ruined basilica was replaced by a Roman cathedral, built between 1046 and 1058. Between 1257 and 1268, a chapel, the Capella de Santa Llucia, was added.
After 1268, the entire structure except for the Santa Llucia Chapel was demolished to make way for a Gothic cathedral. Wars and the plague delayed construction and the main building wasn't finished until 1460.
The Gothic facade is actually a Victorian design modeled after 15th century drawings. The architects Josep Oriol Mestres and August Font i Carreras completed the facade in 1889. The central spire was added in 1913.
