Santa María Cathedral (Vitoria-Gasteiz)

Exterior of the cathedral

inner space

The Cathedral of Santa María in Vitoria-Gasteiz or the Old Cathedral is a Catholic church in the historic center of Vitoria-Gasteiz , capital of Spain's Basque Country . The former cathedral also bears the title of a minor basilica . The Gothic cultural monument is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of St. James.

history

The church was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. From 1496 to 1861 it served as a collegiate church and in 1844 was granted the rank of minor basilica. In 1862 the church was designated the cathedral of the newly created diocese diocese of Vitoria until the new cathedral María Inmaculada was completed in 1914. In 1931 the church was declared a protected cultural asset . The church is located on the Camino Vasco del Interior route of the Way of St. James , during the expansion of the World Heritage site of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and the routes of northern Spain , the church became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

description

The church was built in the north of the medieval city center as part of the city fortifications. The floor plan is a Latin cross with a long transept. The nave was designed as a three-aisled basilica , the choir is surrounded by an ambulatory with chapels. The church tower stands over the right side of the portal. The main facade with three entrances is very artfully designed. The central portico Maria consecrated, left the Sant'Egidio and the right of the Last Judgment and James the Elder .