Issue date: 15 Jul, 2010

CATEDRALES. Catedral de Segovia

CONSULT RATES

CATEDRALES. Catedral de Segovia

HISTORY

The cathedral of Segovia began to be built in 1525 following the design of Juan Gil de Hontañon during the reign of Charles V to replace an earlier cathedral which had been destroyed in 1520 during the War of the Comunidades. It is of a late gothic style and in its construction were also involved Gil de Hontañon’s son Rodrigo, who designed the transept and the head and Juan de Gruas who built the cloister. The plan and construction of this magnificent temple has the traditional three naves and chapels located between the buttresses, which are closed with wrought iron bars of great beauty and artistic value. In the transept there is a big dome and at the head there is a retrochoir and seven polygonal chapels. Its external appearance is of remarkable beauty and monumentality enhanced by the pinnacles, flying buttresses and magnificent tower measuring around 90 meters and forming an impressive array surrounding the light, bare and uncluttered domed interior.

The Cathedral has a valuable artistic heritage consisting of stained glass windows, iron bars of excellent workmanship and elaborately carved choir stalls from the late flamboyant Gothic flanked by two Baroque organs and an altarpiece of the Piedad by Juan de Juni. Besides the main altar, work of Francisco Sabatini, there are splendid chapels such as the Blessed Sacrament with an altarpiece by the flamboyant José de Churriguera, the Chapel of the Descent, which features a reclining Christ by Gregorio Fernández, the chapel of San Andrés where there is a Flemish triptych by Benson Ambrose, the chapel of Santiago, with a baroque altarpiece by Pedro de Bolduque, and paintings attributed to Sánchez Coello and Alonso de Herrera, the chapel of San Antón with a Baroque altarpiece from Vallejo Vivanco , a carving of the saint by Pedro Valle, and paintings from Francisco Herránz. There are other shrines devoted to the Piedad, San Cosme y San Damián, San Gregorio, La Concepcion, San Blas, the Cristo yaciente and Santa Barbara. Besides these there are also important pieces from Berruguete, Van Orley and Sánchez Coello kept in the Cathedral Museum.