A small church dedicated to Saint Philip Neri, who devoted his life to caring for the sick and infirm and was nicknamed the “Apostle of Rome” for his tireless missionary work, is hidden away in a remote corner of the Gothic Quarter. Although it is worth seeing, you are unlikely to stumble upon it by chance.
In 1673, a monastery appeared on this site, along with a church, for which a beautiful building was erected in 1750 that became one of the first in Barcelona to be built in the Baroque style. The simple lines give the church facade a severity atypical of this style, but the lavish interior makes up for the restrained exterior.
The square of the same name adjoining the church is very romantic - an island of calm and tranquility, a shady corner with a refreshing fountain in the center. It is hard to believe that less than a hundred years ago, a real tragedy took place in this quiet spot. At the end of January 1938, 42 people, mostly pupils from the local school, tried to shelter from an aerial bombardment in the church basement. Ironically, a bomb exploded directly above the shelter and took their lives.
The church was almost completely destroyed and was later rebuilt. But traces of exploded shells are still visible on the surviving historic facade: a silent reminder of the Spanish Civil War and its innocent victims.
