Gothic Legends

The old city of Barcelona is home to one of the greatest collections of medieval buildings in Europe. They form an open-air classroom where one can learn about Gothic architecture and Catalunya in the Middle Ages.

But behind this real history of buildings and kings, there is another secret city of folktales and arcane traditions. A short stroll through the Gothic quarter offers up just a few.

Plaça del Pi, which is named for the pine tree growing in one corner, has a tall tale behind it. Although the present tree was planted here in the mid-20th century, legend has it that a tree began growing here centuries ago and it was the work of an angry giant — the gegant del pi — who walked with a limp and used an uprooted pine tree to support himself.

When he attempted to enter the city gates, he was stopped by the gatekeepers who demanded he pay a tax for bringing firewood into the city. They were certain he would chop up his tree and sell it as soon as he passed through the gates. So incensed was the giant by their meanness that he furiously hurled the tree over the walls as far as he could. It landed in a small square with such a force that it rammed into the ground and took root. And so a tradition was born.

In the same square is the lovely Santa Maria del Pi church. When the master builder was constructing the bell tower, he ran into difficulties sourcing the stone. The Devil kindly offered to provide the materials to finish the job and in payment demanded the standard fee for such transactions: the man’s soul, on completing the 100th step of the tower. The master builder accepted.

As the years went by, the builder grew older and the work slowly progressed, but when he reached the 99th step, he left it unfinished and continued with the rest of the church. This lasted long enough for him to die a natural death and thus save his soul. After his death, his sons completed the job instead and avoided any harm.

Near Plaça del Pi is El Call, Barcelona’s old Jewish quarter that has produced a host of local folklore. Perhaps the most famous tale is the one of the Jewish alchemist and his daughter, who was said to be the most beautiful maid in the city. Unbeknown to her father, the girl had fallen in love with a wealthy Christian knight. They would meet furtively in squares and gardens, holding hands and perhaps exchanging a chaste kiss. But the man soon wanted more and asked to spend the night with her. She replied no, not unless they were married.

Enraged, the knight went to see a famous Jewish alchemist and told him he wished to avenge a disloyal lover. The alchemist accepted the rich man’s seven gold pieces and cooked up a toxic perfume, which he sprayed on a beautiful bunch of flowers. The knight implored the girl to meet him so he could apologize. She agreed and he presented her with the bouquet. Delighted, she inhaled the alluring fragrance. She began to feel dizzy but the knight just smiled and bade her farewell. By the time she had reached her home, the girl was wracked with terrible pains. Her father used all his powers of alchemy to save her but in the end it was a relief to see her find comfort in death. He had killed his own daughter and was disconsolate.

By way of penance, he avowed to wander in the wilderness for the rest of his life, but before he did, as a crowd gathered round to watch him lock the doors of his home for the last time, he uttered a curse that anyone who came to live in this house would meet the same fate as his daughter. And it is said that it stayed empty for hundreds of years.

A city with such an extensive and multi-layered past is ripe for the growth of legends and myths, which attempt to explain history or offer moral lessons. These tales give insight into the values and perspectives of the people who inhabited Barcelona in the past and can shed light into our own lives.

This article was updated from a 2011 article in Barcelona Metropolitan by the same author.