Mistie Webb
Due to there being a long history of Christianity in Spain, you can expect to see cathedrals in every city, demonstrating how significant Christ was to the community and culture. Overall, there are over 90 cathedrals in Spain that are protected in order to preserve the houses of Christ.
All of the cathedrals have different architectural styles such as Gothic, Renaissance Style, Romanesque, Baroque, Neoclassical, etc. All of these different styles of architecture make each and every cathedral unique in its own ways. Whether it be big or small or simple or detailed.
A resident from Barcelona, María, further describes the impact of these cathedrals and how it connects to history.
"Many visitors are confused when they see cathedrals everywhere they go," said María, "but it is our history. The first cathedrals were built back in the 1200s, so we will continue to honor them."
The architecture is very detailed and filled with history when it comes to the cathedrals in Spain. Out of the many different cathedrals, here are some favorites.
La Sagrada Familia
One of the most known Cathedrals throughout Spain lies in Barcelona. The detail of the Sagrada Familia is breathtaking and has been in the process of construction since 1882.
Antonio Gaudi was basically the person who ran the layout of this Cathedral. He died in 1926 but he finished the layout in perfect timing and estimated that it would be completely built by 2026.
The construction of the Sagrada Familia began from the neo-Gothic crypt, but Gaudi had other plans and decided to change the design into a more personal and inimitable style by merging the Gothic style with the Art Noveau.
Due to this, there are many different styles of architecture throughout the cathedral that was more personal to Gaudi himself.
The Cathedral is overall full of symbolism and little details that make it much more interesting to sit there and analyze.
A visitor from Texas, Jared, further speaks about his initial reaction to seeing La Sagrada Familia.
"It honestly just felt unreal," said Jared, "I felt like I was looking at a green screen and the closer I got, the more I realized how much detail was put into every inch of it."
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo
Next is the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo. Master Martin is the man who came up with the French Gothic design in 1227. This cathedral is known as one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Europe, which is mindblowing.
It is evident that there was not a lack of art and jewelry, considering there wasn't an empty or simple space within the inside and the outside of the cathedral. Some of Goya and El Greco's works are also throughout the cathedral, which was very captivating.
The Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary Toledo took 200 years to be built, which makes sense due to the number of details surrounding it, which all played a part in giving the cathedral a lot of personalities and history.
Within the cathedral, there is a choir with wood stalls surrounding it. Each stall features 54 different historical reliefs of scenes from the conquest of Granada. Each seat represents the defeat of the villages.
Cathedral de Barcelona
Another major cathedral in Spain is called the Cathedral de Barcelona and is near the Gothic Quarter. It is known as a Roman Catholic cathedral and is still used as a place of worship to this day.
Cathedral de Barcelona remains to be one of the major attractions and symbolizes Barcelona's status as a major Spanish city. It is a very remarkable landmark within Barcelona.
The cathedral is mostly appreciated for its Gothic design. Some of the features that stand out the most include the ribbed vaults and the pointed archways inside.
A resident of Barcelona, María, further speaks about the cathedral.
"It is normal for people to think the cathedral is nothing other than a 19th century add on that replicates distinctive Gothic features," said María, "but as soon as they take a closer look, they are in shock to see the elaborate finish compared to the 14th-century Gothic features."
As specific as it sounds, many people tend to get the architectural style confused with other centuries of gothic features but may be due to the many different styles within the details.
Cathedral of Girona
The next cathedral that stood out was the Cathedral of Girona or the church of Santa Maria. This cathedral is located on a hill in the middle of a very historic town.
Many people see this cathedral and automatically recognize it from Game of Thrones, which makes it much more interesting. As a fellow Game of Thrones fan, this amazed me.
To further speak about the history, it was restored and is one of the most important representations of Romanesque architecture in the area where it was built in the 12th century. When it was restored in 1899, it was renovated in neo-Gothic style.
The decoration within the church was quite simple. There was a big use of geometric shapes rather than floral or curvilinear patterns. The common shapes were squares and zigzag patterns. Plain circles were also used, which enhanced the half-circle shape of the arches.
Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
The next cathedral is called the Bascilla of Santa Maria del Mar and is located in the district of Barcelona. It was built between 1329 and 1383.
Berenguer de Montagut was the architect that was in charge of the design, while many other architects were involved in the making of the cathedral.
The cathedral was kept very simple but detailed at the same time. There were parts of the cathedral that wasn't completely filled up with designs like the other cathedrals.
Santa Maria del Mar is an amazing example of the Catalan Gothic design that was very popular in the 13th and 15th centuries. The cathedral was filled with purity and unity of style that is not common in other large medieval buildings.
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