Basílica de Santa María la Mayor

Pontevedra, Spain

The basilica of Santa Maria la Mayor is one of the jewels in the crown of Galician Gothic architecture. It was built in the 16th century, by order of the Guild of fishermen. It was granted the status of small basilica in 1962, by Pope John XXIII. 

The west façade that was designed by Cornelius de Holanda, has been built in the style of an altarpiece, with three ornately decorated sections. There is a massive transept in the south façade and the main entrance opens up under a semicircular arch, bordered by a stone jamb and ornate Baroque ornamentation. Inside there are three naves that are separated by columns. The High Altarpiece, is made of chestnut tree wood and walnut tree wood, dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. It is a work of art that was made by a cabinetmaker and woodcarver from Santiago. To the left of the south doorway lies a sculpture of the Christ of Safe Journeys, to which the faithful flock in the hope that they may be granted protection during their journeys.

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Address

Praza de España 7, Pontevedra, Spain
See all sites in Pontevedra

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

www.spain.info

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Leroy Asher (4 months ago)
Love the majestic interior.
Joseph Rodriguez (2 years ago)
Beautiful church, more than a museum, an active church with community involvement. Knowledgeable staff.
Jim Mannoia (2 years ago)
Very sweet of the elderly woman to allow us in even though she was moments from closing the church at 10 p.m. Beautiful to see especially empty and late at night.
Gerard Fleming (2 years ago)
This is a simply decorated church in the city. Really peaceful and a great church for contemplation.
Carlos Pinon (2 years ago)
A lovely little church in the centre of a nice city. Something I would recommend to visit at night. A small donation of 1€ you go up to the "Mirador" and while you go to the top there are a couple of museum rooms to enjoy some religious artifacts. A nice church which we didn't look around but worth the time to sit and enjoy it's beauty.
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Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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