Cádiz Cathedral

Cádiz, Spain

Cádiz Cathedral built between 1722 and 1838. The Plaza de la Catedral houses both the Cathedral and the Baroque Santiago church, built in 1635.

The church was known as 'The Cathedral of The Americas' because it was built with money from the trade between Spain and America. The 18th century was a golden age for Cádiz, and the other cathedral that the city had got, Santa Cruz, was very small for this new moment of Cádiz. The new cathedral was built from 1722 to 1838. The first person who designed the church was architect Vicente Acero, who had also built the Granada Cathedral. Acero left the project and was succeeded by several other architects. As a result, this largely baroque-style cathedral was built over a period of 116 years, and, due to this drawn-out period of construction, the cathedral underwent several major changes to its original design. Though the cathedral was originally intended to be a baroque edifice, it contains rococo elements, and was finally completed in the neoclassical style. Its chapels have many paintings and relics from the old cathedral and monasteries from throughout Spain.

In the crypt are buried the composer Manuel de Falla and the poet and playwright José María Pemán, both born in Cádiz.

Levante Tower, one of the towers of Cádiz Cathedral, is open to the public and shows panoramas of the city from on high.

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Details

Founded: 1722-1838
Category: Religious sites in Spain

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

razorrau1 (19 days ago)
This church is very impressive With all its unique architecture. All the different roofs get rid of really unique look. We didn't get to go inside due to a long line.
Lucien McQueen (2 months ago)
Really well curated tour. I used their headsets, just enter your numbered location, and it gives you a comprehensive overview. The virtual 360-degree headset is definitely worth a go. Also, try the climb up to the top of the bell tower, it is a sloped floor rather than a staircase so a bit of a climb but well worth it for the view. In addition to the main part of the cathedral and tower you can also explore the crypt underneath.
David Simkins (2 months ago)
A beautiful cathedral; relatively small compared with many in major cities in southern Europe. Visited on a weekday in October and the queue was really short, so I didn’t bother to buy entry tickets online. At €8 per person, including the crypt and the tower, this is really good value. The bell tower is a must-see. Rather uniquely, 90% is step-free; instead a really steep, smooth incline, with a narrow spiral staircase at the end to the top. It’s a difficult climb but worth it. Great views here, but beware of the bells! They chime every 15 minutes, so you may drop your phone if you’re standing directly underneath one at the time!
Steve Ryan (4 months ago)
Amazing cathedral. So large but such intimate areas inside. The catacombs were interesting with just a few people earning such prominent amounts of the space, and not only clerics and kings, but architects and poets too!
Aycan Kılınç (5 months ago)
The lady who greeted you at the entrance of the cathedral was incredibly attentive. she informed us about the Cathedral. This is one of the places that everyone who comes to Cadiz should definitely see. It fascinates you with its baroque style. If you are interested in classical paintings, definitely ask the lady at the entrance to give you information about the place where there are thousands of Goya paintings. I found the entrance fee to the cathedral a bit expensive. The cathedral consists of 3 parts. tower, underground and large places of prayer. In general, it is a very well-kept and clean place of worship. The underground section had a theme like being in a current horror movie. So the atmosphere was great. You walk to the tower part and you have the most beautiful view in the city. when you reach the top through the narrow body of the tower. You take a deep breath. By the way, bells ringing for 15 minutes may scare you, be careful ?
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