The Hidden Paintings and Historicist Architecture of Les Corts' Església del Remei

The temple, a symbol of the neighborhood's identity, blends Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic, and Neoclassical elements on its façade.

Detail of a Neo-Renaissance mural inside a historic church featuring biblical figures.
IA

Detail of a Neo-Renaissance mural inside a historic church featuring biblical figures.

The Església del Remei, located in the Plaça de la Concòrdia in Les Corts, stands out for its historicist architecture and surprising interior paintings depicting holy women from the Old Testament.

The Església del Remei, constructed between 1846 and 1849 based on the project by Josep Oriol Mestres, features a façade that merges historicist elements: a Neo-Romanesque portal, a Neo-Gothic rose window, and a Neoclassical cornice. The image of the Virgin is the work of sculptor Pere Pagès.
The bell tower, the most characteristic element of the complex, was added later in 1897 by Antoni Rovira i Rabassa, who also completed the façade. After being severely damaged during the Civil War, the church was restored in 1941 and expanded in 1967 under the direction of Josep Rodríguez Lloveras.
The interior paintings, of a Neo-Renaissance style, are the work of Bàrbara Bibiloni, Cesc Grimalt, and Tomàs Barceló (2010). Notably, they feature representations of four holy women from the Old Testament (Sarah, Judith, Esther, and Ruth), which are uncommon in religious art.
On the right side, towards the presbytery, four men from the Old Testament are represented: Abraham, Moses, David, and Elijah. The presbytery front displays the Twelve Apostles and, beneath the altarpiece, the symbols of the four evangelists: the angel of Matthew, the lion of Mark, the bull of Luke, and the eagle of John.
This building, located in the heart of Les Corts, evokes the time when the neighborhood was an independent town from Barcelona. Today, it remains the main parish and the center of the Festa Major (local festival), celebrated in early October in honor of the Mare de Déu del Remei, the district's patron saint.