Sigüenza Cathedral

General view of the cathedral

Facade of the cathedral

Central nave with trascoro

The Cathedral of Sigüenza or St. Mary's Cathedral ( Spanish Catedral de Santa María ) is a Roman Catholic church in Sigüenza in the central Spanish province of Guadalajara . The cathedral of the diocese of Sigüenza-Guadalajara with the patronage of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built between the 12th and 15th centuries.

history

Construction of the cathedral began in 1124 after the Moors were driven out and Bernardo of Agen was appointed bishop. It was built on foundations that previously supported a Visigoth church and then a Moorish mosque . The construction of the Romanesque church dragged on until the 15th century and received - especially inside - Gothic elements and in the 16th century extensions in the Renaissance style , so Alonso de Covarrubias added the main sacristy from 1532 to 1537, which continued to be the cloister (claustro) was built. The cathedral was opened in 1948 by Pope Pius XII. raised to a minor basilica .

architecture

The west facade is characterized by the sturdy towers in the medieval style of a church fortress. The portals on the south and west sides are preserved in the Romanesque style, but with later baroque and neoclassical additions. The church is divided into three naves , a transept with a lantern tower and a chancel with ambulatory , it is roofed with rib vaults . The St. Peters Chapel, the lattice of which is the work of Juan Francés, the Ascension Chapel with details in the Mudéjar style and the St. Mark Chapel are important.

Furnishing

The cathedral houses important pieces of equipment - including several medieval altars and a pulpit from around 1500. In the Capilla de los Arces is the wall grave of Martín Vázquez el Doncel from the end of the 15th century; in front of it is the double kenotaph of Fernando de Arce and his wife. On the south wall of the choir is the Gothic tomb of Bishop Alonso Carrillo de Albornoz and the tomb of the knight Gómez Carrillo de Acuña and his wife. The most important painting is an Annunciation by El Greco .