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:

Junta de Castilla y León

User Reviews

kytuuup (2 years ago)
If you like to reminesce and get to know more about Spain historically this is one of those you should visit and take 2 days in the city to appreciate the local restaurants

Mª Evangelina Rodríguez (2 years ago)
Preciosa tanto desde el exterior como desde el interior. Merece la pena entrar y dedicarle un ratito a mirar los detalles del claustro. La visita al museo también tiene interés. Es pequeño, está muy bien presentado para admirar las imágenes preciosas, casi todas de autores anónimos, los cuadros, ornamentos y hasta varios pares de zapatos y guantes de los obispos que dan un toque del día a día en la vida de los antiguos obispos. Recomiendo la visita.

Lou Acero (3 years ago)
Worth taking the time to see.

Javier Jiménez (3 years ago)
Ok

Mark Auchincloss (3 years ago)
Beautiful 12th/14th romanesque/gothic style Cathedral. Roman cloisters. Amazing 13th Pardon Porch similar to The Glory Porch in Santiago Cathedral.The hand carved choral chairs are pretty too. See if you can spot where the apostle Santiago is in the ceiling!

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Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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