What a beautiful story – this Cathedral of the Sea series released by Netflix is about Arnau Estanyol, the son of a fugitive serf and one of the cathedral’s stone workers. Yes, the story also revolves around the construction of Santa Maria del Mar cathedral.

The series was based from a historical novel by Spanish author Ildefonso Falcone.

While the story centered on the life of Arnau Estanyol, the story of his best friend and adopted brother Joanet (who studies to become a priest) was also important. Their stories from the time they met as little boys to the time Joanet betrayed Arnau, to the last moment when Joanet committed suicide — were entangled between friendship and revenge, love and war, death and life.

And how did the story of the brothers end? What happened to Arnau Estanyol?

Synopsis

It is the 14th century and the city of Barcelona is at the peak of its prosperity. Those who live in the Ribera, a humble neighborhood of fishermen, decide to build the greatest temple to the Virgin Mary ever seen: Santa María de la Mar, Saint Mary of the Sea.

This story parallels the story of young Arnau, a peasant that flees his feudal lord and takes refuge in Barcelona where he becomes a free man, and rich.

But this sparks the envy of a group of people who cast a spell that puts his life in the hands of the Inquisition. From this world marked by religious intolerance, material ambition and social segregation comes a story of intrigue, violence and passion that recreates the chiaroscuro of the feudal period.

A story that does not simply tell of the building of a beautiful church, which the people would call the “The cathedral of the Sea” and the excellent recreation of medieval Barcelona, but also of the harsh life of its main character, who as a slave, ends up becoming an influential person through devotion, suffering, revenge, a loyalty trauma, love, war and conspiracies that make each page an exhilarating experience.

Netflix has 8 episodes of Cathedral of the Sea season 1. Below, I highlighted some events for each episode. Stop reading if you do not want to read the spoilers.

Episode 1:

Bernat Estanyol, Arnau’s father, fled from the cruelty of his feudal master, arrived in Barcelona with the sole purpose of obtaining, both for himself and his son, citizenship and freedom. A fugitive servant, slaved by his brother-in-law, he endured these and other ordeals with exemplary temper. Arnau grew up in the cruelty of his two cousins.

Episode 2:

The episode that introduced Arnau and Joanet to the Mary, The Lady of the Seas, and their interest in the building of the Santa Maria del Mar cathedral.

Bernat’s sister died and his brother-in-law remarried.

Episode 3:

Bernat Estanyol, Arnau’s father, was arrested and hanged in public for stealing food and leading a riot. This episode, Arnau grew up to become a fine-looking lad. Arnau fell in love with Aledis, his first love. Although their marriage did not happen due to the young lady’s father opposition. Aledis was married to an old man because of her father’s insistence. Passion and fate brought Arnau and Aledis together amidst challenging circumstances. They often met in a secret place to make love.

Episode 4:

Arnau and Aledis secret rendezvous was soon discovered and Aledis was imprisoned. Later in the episode, Aledis escaped with the help of her servant. During her journey, she was raped by a stranger and then took refuge with a group of sex workers. Here, Aledis met Arnau’s mother.

Arnau married Maria. He then joined the army and came back to Barcelona as a hero. Unfortunately, pestilence met Arnau upon his arrival. Hundreds died including his wife, Maria.

Episode 5:

Arnau became a successful businessman with the help of Hasdai. Hasdai is a jew of the call, who is eternally grateful to Arnau for saving his children’s life when stirred citizens blamed jews of bringing the plague into the city.

Hasdai became a decisive character in Arnau’s life, who introduced him to another key person: the moor Sahat, who became Arnau’s crucial aid in his new life as a prosperous broker.

Another important character, Mar, appeared in this episode. Mar, daughter of Ramón, a bastaixo of whom Arnau kept a noble memory. This girl became an orphan because of the city’s plague, after which she became Arnau’s protegée.

Mar grew up to become a beautiful lady. In secret Mar was falling in love with Arnau who never remarried after his wife’s death.

It is obvious in the episode that Arnau was also in love with Mar, but he could not express his feelings for her because he considered Mar as his daughter.

Arnau bought all the properties of his former tormentors: his uncle and his evil wife and his cousins. Arnau sent them to a house in a faraway farm.

Episode 6:

Because of Arnau’s heroism in the war, the King of Barcelona offered his daughter, baroness Eleonor, to be Arnau’s wife. Arnau was not happy as he was not in love with the baroness.

Arnau was married with the baroness by Arnau’s brother himself, Joanet.

Arnau never made love with the baroness. The baroness found out later about Arnau and Mar’s feelings for each other.

Episode 7:

The baroness convinced the priest Joanet to an evil plot against Arnau and Mar. The baroness paid a guy named Phillip to kidnap and rape Mar. The only way to avoid the death punishment for the crime was to let the victim marry the rapist.

Against the will of Arnau, Mar was married to Phillip.

Later in the episode, Hasdai was burned to death in the plaza as men shouted “death for the Jews.”

Also, in this episode, Arnau was found to have allied and had friends with the Jews. He was arrested.

Episode 8:

Arnau’s brother priest Joanet felt very guilty of what he did and told Mar of what he did to her.

Before Arnau was sentenced to death, hundreds of men, led by Mar, Aledis, and Sahat, surrounded the palace to save Arnau. The Bishop who head the trial was forced to free Arnau, also because of the help of the King.

The series ended with Arnau entering the newly-built and completed cathedral! With him is his wife, Mar, and their son!

What happened to the priest Joanet? He committed suicide by burning himself inside the room of the baroness. The baroness also died with him.