The Catedral de Barcelona opens a shop inspired by its history

Management is handled by Laie, which specialises in bookshops and cultural shops linked to museums and monuments. The transformation adds more space, including the chapel of Santa Rita, which becomes part of a route where heritage and commercial activity coexist within the same building.

The proposal moves away from the conventional souvenir shop. A large part of the products draws on elements belonging to the Catedral itself, such as its stained-glass windows, changes in the interior light, the neo-Gothic façade and various religious symbols present in the church.

There will also be exclusive collections of in-house design and local production. The intention is to offer objects directly connected with the building and Barcelona, intended both for visitors and for residents interested in the city's heritage.

The editorial section brings together more than 140 titles on Christianity, architecture, religious art and the history of Barcelona. The catalogue also includes children's books, a way of bringing the church and its legacy closer to those visiting as a family.

Laie thus strengthens its presence around the Catedral, where it already runs the bookshop-shop of the Museu Diocesà. The company is also present in places such as the Sagrada Família, La Pedrera, Park Güell, the Museu Picasso and the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau.

The expansion seeks to ensure that the shop is no longer merely the last point on the route. Its design and selection of products are intended to prolong the experience of the visit and help people understand details of the building that may go unnoticed when walking through its naves and chapels.

The change leaves a new cultural corner in the heart of the Gòtic, amid books, design pieces and references to the memory of the church. The Catedral thus adds another way of bringing its heritage closer to those who enter out of religious or historical interest, or simply out of curiosity.