In the fourteenth century,
Barcelona, under the
Crown of Aragon, is in one of its most prosperous moments in history: the city has grown up to the
Ribera, a humble fishing district, where the church of
Santa María del Mar is to be built. In 1319, a
serf, Bernat Estanyol, flees with his infant son Arnau from
Navarcles to Barcelona after Bernat's wife is raped and kidnapped by a feudal lord. Episode 1 then proceeds to 1329 when Arnau is a young boy growing up in his uncle's home. Arnau is blamed for his cousin's death, which leads to the melancholy and eventual death of his aunt in Episode 2. It is in this year that construction begins on the church of
Santa María del Mar, and Arnau assists the workers by bringing them water. Episode 3 begins in April 1334 during a famine. Bernat is hung for participating in a riot to secure food that is hoarded by the aristocracy. After discovering a thief at the cathedral, Arnau is promoted to
bastaix (stone carrier), carrying stones from
Montjuïc to the cathedral, and is given a
capçana (headdress to facilitate carrying heavy stones on the head). In 1339, he falls in love with the daughter of the tanner but is refused an offer of marriage. In 1342, the church is visited by
Peter IV of Aragon, the count of Barcelona. Episode 4 begins in 1342, when Arnau is married but continues an illicit affair with the tanner's daughter. Work is begun on a covered bridge from the
Framenors Monastery to the port, which
James III of Majorca had demanded be built to protect him from assassination attempts by bow and arrow, but after it is discovered that James has laid a trap for Peter IV, enticing him into the covered bridge, James fleas to
Roussillon. Peter IV declares war against him and in 1343, Arnau is drafted to fight against the forces of James near Roussillon. While on tour, Arnau briefly meets his own mother, who has become a prostitute servicing the troops. Five years later, Arnau returns home to find Barcelona stricken with
plague, to which his wife succumbs. In episode 5, Arnau saves the lives of a Jewish family from an
angry mob. In gratitude, the Jewish man teaches Arnau to become a
cambist, or money changer. Arnau adopts a young orphan girl whose parents were killed by the plague. In 1356, Arnau, now a wealthy man, plans a solution to the problems related to the harbor in Barcelona. Ships find the harbor difficult to navigate during storms, seeking refuge at
Salou or
Tarragona. Ships must enter the harbor through a narrow passage one at a time and risk running aground in the sand that surrounds the harbor. Arnau purchases a
galley to tug the lighter ships into the harbor. In a reversal of fortune, Arnau purchases the debts of his uncle's family, who had persecuted him since a boy, and sends them out of the city. In episode 6,
Peter of Castile attempts to
attack Barcelona while the forces of Peter IV of Aragon are fighting in Majorca. Arnau sinks his own galley, blocking off the entrance to Barcelona harbor. As a reward for his courage, Peter IV of Aragon makes Arnau baron of
Granollers, Sant Vicenç, and
Montbui. The king gives one of the ladies of the court to be his wife, against the wishes of Arnau, and the move to
Montbui Castle. Meanwhile, the tanner's daughter, who still loves Arnau but is working as a prostitute for Arnau's mother, finds out about the marriage. The local nobles do not recognize Arnau's authority due to his lowly birth. Arnau institutes reforms, banning the abuse of serfs and setting them free. By 1360, despite initial resistance, Arnau has become respected in the region, and he is elected
Consul of the Sea in command of a small army. Episode 7 deals with a plot by Arnau's wife to have her step-daughter raped, then married, by a knight so that she can someday legally collect Arnau's inheritance. Arnau's childhood friend, Joanet, now a priest, is part of the conspiracy. Subsequently, Joanet becomes a fanatical
Inquisitor and given orders to the
Pyrenees, as his and Arnau's friendship dissolves. There is rising
antisemitism in Castile during this time. Arnau's wife falsely accuses him of having an affair with a Jewish woman, an
offense for which he is imprisoned. In the finale, Episode 8, a plan is enacted by Arnau's enemies to try Arnau's mother as a witch, and Arnau himself as the spawn of the Devil, before the Grand Inquisitor of Aragon,
Nicolau Emeric. Joanet, his Moorish slave, the tanner's daughter, and his adoptive daughter all attempt by various means to free him. This effort brings together two of Arnau's lovers, who must work together to free him. His friends foment a riot among the bastaixos and pay off the king of Barcelona, resulting in Arnau's freedom. In a dramatic penultimate scene, Joanet immolates himself and kills Arnau's wife. Arnau's Moorish slave has arranged for Arnau to legally marry his adoptive daughter, his true love, who herself was recently widowed. The series concludes with Arnau, his wife and son entering the completed church of
Santa María del Mar on
Assumption Day, August 15th, 1384. == Cast ==