Ávila Cathedral, Ávila, Spain - SpottingHistory.com

The Cathedral of Ávila has Romanesque and Gothic architectural traditions. It was planned as a cathedral-fortress, its apse being one of the turrets of the city walls. It is surrounded by a number of houses or palaces.

It is not known exactly when the construction of the Cathedral began, there being two theories. One states that Alvar García started its construction in 1091 inside the remains of the Church of the Saviour, which was in ruins as a result of successive Muslim attacks, and that Alfonso VI of Castile raised the money necessary to build it. Other historians believe the Cathedral to be the work of the maestro Fruchel in the 12th century coinciding with the repopulation of Castille led by Raymond of Burgundy.

Of the 13th century are the first stages of the towers and aisles and of the 14th century the second stage of the towers, the cloister, the vaults and the flying buttresses. Already in the 15th century the cathedral was complete and in 1475 Juan Guas built the mechanical clock.

The Cathedral of Ávila is considered by its age (12th century), along with the Cathedral of Cuenca, as the first two Gothic cathedrals in Spain. It shows French influences and great resemblances to the Abbey Church of St Denis, the first European Gothic church.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

David L. Brooks (15 months ago)
A wonderful cathedral that inspires one's imagination.

Laura Hale (16 months ago)
Really enjoyed myself. Staff were super kind in letting me store my luggage after I got caught out not realizing my hotel wasn't doing luggage storage because of Covid-19. Bottle fed infant inside cathedral and zero issues either . Audio tour is on mobile phone. Handy but bring your own headphones. €6 admission feels reasonable if you're paying to see it, especially as there is a museum attached.

Martin V Mathew (21 months ago)
I love the beautiful Cathedral. It's very renowned for its wonderful and unique art works.. The entrance pass includes also the visit to the Cathedral museum, a home for magnificent paintings of the middle ages..

Nami Haghighi (23 months ago)
Straight out of history books. One if the best preserved fortified cities I have had the pleasure of visiting. The cathedral was closed as I was there in the evening but around every corner there was a beautiful building to see and photograph. One if my favourite cities in my tours around Spain over the years. Well worth a visit.

andy ford (2 years ago)
Fantastic cathedral. The audio tour wants around an hour to an hour and a half to do properly. Although it's a popular tourist destination there is still a good prayerful atmosphere. Well worth the visit.

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