22. Barcelona’s Gothic splendour

The graceful Capella Reial, known as the Chapel of Saint Agatha, was the first Gothic church to be finished in the city of Barcelona in 1310 while the cathedral was still under construction. Gothic architecture spread swiftly in response to the new needs of an increasingly complex urban society.

The new style also filtered through to other artistic expressions at the height of an economic boom which brought increasing numbers of commissions and drove the consolidation of local workshops and contacts with foreign models and artists. The spectacular Retaule del Conestable altarpiece dating from 1464 bears witness to the final period of the Gothic inspired by Flemish influences.