Ciudad Rodrigo Cathedral

Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain

Construction of the Ciudad Rodrigo Cathedral began in the 12th century and did not finish until the 14th century. The architecture of the cathedral is uniform, despite later reforms and additions that can be seen in some of the chapels, such as the San Blas chapel.

The Portico del Perdón alone contains more than 400 Romanesque and Gothic sculptures of great beauty. Although it began in the 12th century, the work continued to the 15th, meaning that its style shows a clear transition from Romanesque to Gothic, as well as the Neoclassic tower.

One of the principal attractions is the impressive Gothic vault. The choir should not be forgotten either, strangely it has no religious motifs instead is decorated with fauna and flora images. The cloister is wonderful and is where the contrast between the two styles of architecture is best noted.

Another jewel, the impressive Portico del Perdon is compared by some to the Catedral de Santiago de Competela. During the War of Independence this part of the building was fired at by Napoleonic troops and has the impacts of cannon fire on it.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Conor McHale (2 months ago)
The carved wooden seats in the choir are worth the admission price alone. Magnificent building.
Jes Rutter (6 months ago)
Looks lovely.
B. Eva (2 years ago)
Amazing to see the craftsmanship of the many amazing hands who made this building. Worth the visit, although , we vere disappointed when were sold the full ticket, which included visit to the tower withholding the important information about the fact that a small group have to gather and there is considerable waiting to start the tour.
Cristina Delamo (5 years ago)
Gorgeus cathedral. Make sure to visit also yhe castle nearby.
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.