Located in the center of Calella, the church is known for its robustness and simplicity. It was built in 1747 and enlarged in 1785. It preserves the old building of 1543-64, which collapsed as a result of the fall of the bell tower. The present church was designed by Josep Morató in 1747. After the total destruction and burning of the interior in 1936, in 1939 it was rebuilt and, finally, on September 23, 1951, the completely rebuilt church was inaugurated.
The archpriestly church of Santa Maria de la Calella today is a neoclassical building, built from 1747, when the bell tower fell and collapsed the previous church, and expanded in 1785 according to plans of the master Moretó de Vic. The old building was built in 1543-1564, and it retains the large entrance doorway in Baroque style. On the façade, apart from the entrance door, there is a rose window and a porthole. On the left side and a little behind in relation to the line of the entrance is the square bell tower, which ends in a polygon.
The ground plan of the church is in the form of a Latin cross, with a 49 m long nave, transept and polygonal apse, following the baroque model derived from San Felipe Neri in Barcelona. The nave has five vaulted bays, with two unequal bays, the arms of the transept; the intersection of the transept is covered with a semi-circular dome. Between the buttresses of the central nave there are four chapels on each side. The church is illuminated by the large rose window on the main façade and two windows (later) on each side of the nave. The church is completed with a 42 m high bell tower with a square base and an octagonal upper body.
The baroque style façade is placed on the main façade of the church of Santa Maria de Calella. After the collapse of the bell tower in 1747, only this doorway remains of the old church. It has incorporated twelve heads of the apostles sculpted by the stonemason Jean de Tours in numolitic stone, is dedicated to the Assumption and St. Nicholas of Bari and was restored after the destruction suffered in 1936. Apart from the heads of the apostles there are other decorative motifs sculpted, plus a niche with a saint.
Interesting that it is found in a square which tourism of the area has turned it into a commercial hub, for walking and restaurants where there is continuous noise during the summer.
