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The history of the meeting point for French Catholic citizens in Barcelona dates back to the 18th century, when they built a Catholic chapel in honor of Saint Louis in 1714.
And later, in 1813, another, but on both occasions, they were demolished for strategic reasons by order of a French general.
With the construction of the convent of the Franciscans of Santa MarÃa de Gracia and the installation of the General Consulate and of Ferdinand Lesseps and the creation of the General Society of French Charity, heir to the old brotherhood, a new chapel was built.
The first modern French chapel to be built in Barcelona to unite French citizens was built in 1903, at Calle Diputación 274, between Pau Claris and Roger de Lauria. But it was demolished in 1910.
Subsequently, the French colony built a new chapel, this time with a much higher degree of construction, on Calle Bruc 90 – 92, between Aragón and Consejo de Cent. It was sponsored by the congregation of the Marist brothers, with the purpose of being able to offer religious services to French citizens living in our city.
One of the most prestigious architects, Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia, who, among other religious works to his credit, included the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart of Tibidabo and the Church of Our Lady of Pompeii, was sought for its construction at that time.
The chapel was built to shelter and offer moral help to the French inhabitants residing in the city. The anecdote was in Bruc street, the name of a town that, years ago, became famous when a local youth (the “Bruc timbaler”) had expelled the French troops from Catalonia just by beating a drum.
The chapel was inaugurated on October 6, 1912, according to a project by Enric Sagnier and Villavecchia. It included a semi-basement, which congregated to participate in playful acts and meetings. He managed to unite the holidays to the French community.
It was the place where they met on May 30 to celebrate the day of Saint Joan of Arc and the place where the French not only celebrated religious acts, but also where they honored everyone who had given glory to the nation: men and women , artists and politicians, both French and Francophone.
The large French-speaking concentration, especially on holidays, had left the building insufficient to house the large number of events that were organized on holidays, so it was decided to expand the premises.
As the chapel had been left only for religious services without great relief, it was decided to build a church with greater capacity, although it would continue to retain the name of “Capella Francesa”. The project was carried out by Enric Sagnier himself, although it would be his son who finished the work.
The new construction would be divided into three naves. In the body would rise the church in which seven narrow windows stood out on the central façade, forming a pyramid.
The body on the mountain side would be dedicated to the bell tower with a ground floor and four floors, the first with a circular window, the next two with chapel-shaped windows and the fourth for a bell tower.
Next to the church building on the sea side, a smaller one served as the old basement, housing the Salle Saint Louis building, known as the French Chapel Theatre.
In 1934, funerals were held in memory of former French President Raymond Poincaré and Foreign Minister Louis Barthou, both of whom had died in an attack in the city of Marseille, perpetrated by King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.
Despite its location in the center of the city, it was not vandalized by anti-clericals during the Republic, so it arrived in good condition at the end of the war.
The people in charge of the complex, seeing the difficulties that visitors had to park in that part of the city, bought a larger place with better possibilities, in Anglà de la Bonanova street.
They sold the premises on Bruc street in 1973. They were demolished and the new church of Virgen de Lourdes was inaugurated at number 15, Anglà street, in 1974.
