Basílica dels Sants Màrtirs Just i Pastor
From the outside, a simple Gothic church in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Inside, a box of surprises
The Basilica of the Holy Martyrs Justus and Pastor is a little-known church that hides treasures from the Roman and medieval eras, and a bell tower offering a privileged view of the historic center.
Barcelona Bus Turístic, on the Hola Barcelona app
Your app for visiting the city with the Barcelona Bus Turístic: routes, stops and the most iconic places. A comfortable way to carry your tickets too!
The city’s oldest basilica with a very special bell tower
The Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor is a Gothic church located in the square of the same name in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. It is dedicated to Saints Justus and Pastor, two young boys martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian for refusing to renounce their faith. Religious worship at this site dates back to the year 801, when Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, promoted the construction of a church—now lost—in their honor.
In its place, between 1342 and 1571, the last of Barcelona’s great Gothic churches was built, notable for its austerity. Although two towers were originally planned for the façade, only one was built in the 15th century, semi-octagonal in shape, and located on the front right side. The construction of the façade and bell tower, which continued into the 16th century, involved master builders Pere Blai, Joan Safont, and Joan Granja.
Inside, the church has a very simple layout: a single nave with a polygonal apse and six rectangular chapels. Notable among them are the chapels of Saint Felix and the Holy Cross, which houses the Altarpiece of the Passion, one of the finest Catalan altarpieces of the 16th century, painted by Pere Nunyes between 1528 and 1530. If you look up, you’ll see several stained-glass windows from the 17th century and, higher still, a ribbed vault with scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.
But the real spectacle for visitors lies at the top of a very narrow spiral staircase: a 16th-century bell tower, 35 meters high, offering a 360-degree view of Barcelona. From there, you can see other bell towers up close—like those of the Cathedral, Santa Maria del Mar, Our Lady of the Pine, and La Mercè—as well as the entire city, from sea to mountain, and from north to south.
How to get to the Basilica of the Holy Martyrs Justus and Pastor
The Red Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic takes you to the Gothic Quarter stop, from where you can easily reach the basilica.
For the curious
- During the 2013 restoration of the basilica, numerous archaeological remains were discovered, making this one of the most mysterious churches in the city. Among the finds were the base of a Roman column from the 1st century AD, reused to build a Christian basilica in the 6th century; a baptismal font from the same period; and a mass grave of around 120 people who died during the Black Death in the 14th century.
