Is it because of infidelity? Because of the slow development of construction? Because of a plague? Christian symbol? Or because it simply points to a spiral staircase? Nobody knows for sure and it is very likely that the real meaning of the presence of a sculpted snail on one of the towers of the Barcelona cathedral will never be known. One more mystery that the temple hides.
Actually, there are about thirty snails represented in the cathedral, but the one on the bell tower closest to Carrer de los Comtes is the most special due to its beautiful and careful workmanship. It's hard to see. You have to stand at the rear outside of the temple and locate it, preferably with binoculars or a telephoto lens. But there it is.
There are various theories about the reason for its presence. The shell of a snail is symbolically related to the moon and the cycle of life. Some argue that it has to do with the slow pace of construction of the cathedral, and others attribute it to the memory of an ancient plague of this animal in the city. For others, it simply signals that the tower goes up and down a spiral staircase.
A widespread legend alludes to a history of conjugal infidelities. It is said that the builder of the tower was so absorbed in his work that he neglected his wife. One day, a student was attracted by her beauty and they began to see each other and go for walks together frequently, which caused many comments among the people. They ended up being lovers.
When the builder found out what had happened, instead of being angry with his wife, he was angry with himself, acknowledging that he was largely to blame. Thus, he would have decided to carve the snail with its horns erect as a public sign of his repentance.
This would have happened in the 16th century, when the tower was built. The history of infidelity is nothing more than a legend and the theories of the plague or the ladder are more credible, but we are always attracted to and like the former more.
