Soria Cathedral

Soria, Spain

Soria pro-Cathedral was built in the 12th century on the site of an old Augustine monastery, and was subsequently rebuilt in the 16th century in Renaissance style under the patronage of Bishop Acosta. The church has an open plan with three naves of equal heights, covered by vaults with star-shaped skylights. It has quite austere décor, both inside and out, except the south doorway, which is in Plateresque style, with a round arch with archivolts and a high frieze. It still conserves its 12th century Romanesque cloister.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

www.spainisculture.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Dmitrii Bondarenko (7 months ago)
Beatiful church from 13th century
Turista Inglesa (2 years ago)
Its official name is “Concatedral”, this means a co-cathedral. What on earth is that? Built from the 12th century onwards, this large imposing building, massive even, was right from the start in competition with the cathedral in El Burgo de Osma, where the Bishop lived. For centuries it tried to become the seat of the bishopric, until finally in 1959 Pope John XXIII issued the Papal Bull 'Quandoquidem Animorum', named the diocese the Diocese of Osma-Soria, and finally made the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter a Cathedral. Well, a co-cathedral, since it shares the title with the Cathedral (N.B. it is not a co-cathedral but a full cathedral!) of El Burgo de Osma. And I say “finally” since the first request for this honour was made by King Alfonso VIII to Pope Clemente IV in the 13th century. Long wait. Unusually for a cathedral, it is not in the actual town centre. In fact the nearest buildings are modern blocks of flats, so in centuries past it must have been in open countryside. It is, however, only about a 10-minute stroll from the Plaza Mayor; Soria is a small town and everywhere is very walkable. It is on a main road, just up from the medieval bridge over the River Duero, so doubtless its position was selected, nine centuries ago, to be on a major route for pilgrims. The basic style is what we in UK call “Norman architecture”, because it was brought over by William and his friends after the 1066 conquest. Massive, thick columns, no soaring gothic interior here, and the windows are small inside. It must have been a gloomy experience for the first seven or eight centuries, until electricity was installed. In the early sixteenth century, someone had the clever idea of knocking down one of these massive pillars, to open up a view of one of the statues of the Virgen. Well, those thick columns were there for a purpose: to hold up the roof and tower, which collapsed. Rebuilding of one tower and part of the interior was carried out in the then contemporary gothic style, giving an unusual mix of styles in one cathedral. The oldest part, and the most attractive, is the Cloister. This is accessed normally from the inside of the cathedral, on payment of €2. Well worth the charge.
devegendehollander hergen (4 years ago)
A place to find relaxation and cool air in summer when the town is full of people. A great place to go alone or meet and whisper
Anonymous (4 years ago)
Ok
Julia Araque (4 years ago)
I love
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians. The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.

The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.

From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace. From 1479, the Counts of Foix became Kings of Navarre and the last of them, made Henri IV of France, annexed his Pyrrenean lands to France.

As seat of the Governor of the Foix region from the 15th century, the castle continued to ensure the defence of the area, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Richelieu (1632-1638).

Until the Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison. Its life was brightened with grand receptions for its governors, including the Count of Tréville, captain of musketeers under Louis XIII and Marshal Philippe Henri de Ségur, one of Louis XVI's ministers. The Round Tower, built in the 15th century, is the most recent, the two square towers having been built before the 11th century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.

Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.