Girona Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Saint Mary of GironaCatedral de Santa Maria de Girona |
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West façade and the grand Baroque staircase
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic Church |
| Region | Roman Catholic Diocese of Girona |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Leadership | Msg. Francesc Pardo i Artigas |
| Year consecrated | 1038 |
| Location | |
| Location | Girona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1015 |
| Completed | 18th century |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | W |
| Length | 85 metres (279 ft) |
| Width | 90 metres (300 ft) |
| Width (nave) | 22.98 metres (75.4 ft) |
| Height (max) | 45 metres (148 ft) |
The Girona Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona, is a large Catholic church in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the main church for the area, led by a bishop. This amazing building is famous for having the widest Gothic nave (the main central part of a church) in the world. It measures about 23 meters wide! Only St. Peter's Basilica in Rome has a wider nave.
Building the cathedral started in the 11th century in the Romanesque style. Later, in the 13th century, builders switched to the Gothic style. From the original Romanesque church, only a cloister (a covered walkway) and one bell tower from the 12th century are still standing. A second bell tower was finished much later, in the 18th century.
Contents
History of Girona Cathedral
Long ago, an early Christian church stood on this spot. When the Muslims took over Spain in 717, it became a mosque. But in 785, Charlemagne and his Frankish army took the city back. The church then became a Christian church again in 908.
Building the Romanesque Cathedral
By 1015, the old church was in bad shape. Bishop Peter Roger, who was the son of Count Roger I of Carcassonne, decided to rebuild it. He got money by selling another church to his brother-in-law, Count Ramon Borrell. The new church and its cloister were built in the Romanesque style and finished by 1064. The first bell tower was completed in 1117.
Building the Gothic Cathedral
In 1312, the church was planned to be redesigned by Pere Sacoma. After some time, in 1416, Guillem Bofill and Antoni Canet began the new project. They created the huge Gothic nave, which is the widest Gothic nave anywhere. It is 22.98 meters wide and its ceiling is 35 meters high!
What the Cathedral Looks Like Outside
The main front of the church, called the façade, is in the Baroque style. It was started in 1606, but the top part wasn't finished until 1961. A grand staircase, completed in 1607, leads up to it. Sculptures on the façade were added by local artists in the 1960s.
Other cool parts outside include the Gothic entrance of St. Michael on the north side. There's also the southern entrance of the Apostles, built in the 14th century. This entrance used to have sculptures of the Twelve Apostles. Most of these were lost, but two, showing St. Peter and St. Paul, are now safe inside the church.
The Bell Towers
The cathedral has two bell towers. The older one is called the Charlemagne Tower. It's the only one left from the two towers that stood next to the first Romanesque church. This tower started being built in the early 11th century. It has a square shape with six levels, decorated with Lombard bands and double windows.
The newer bell tower is 70 meters tall. It was started in 1590 and finished in the 18th century with a different design. It has an octagonal (eight-sided) shape and holds six bells. The oldest bell dates back to 1574.
Inside the Cathedral
The inside of the cathedral has one very wide main area, or nave. Its ceiling is made of cross vaults, which are supported by strong Gothic buttresses (supports on the outside). The side walls have a triforium (a gallery above the arches) with tall, pointed stained glass windows.
The back part of the church, called the apse, is separated from the nave by a tall wall. This wall has a huge pointed arch in the middle that frames the main altar. On either side are two smaller pointed arches that lead to the ambulatory (a walkway around the altar). High up on the wall, there's a large round rose window from 1705, dedicated to St. Michael.
The main altar is made of white marble and dates back to the 11th century. You can also see the Gothic tomb of Berenguer d'Anglesola (who died in 1418). This tomb was made by Pere Oller.
The Romanesque Cloister
The Romanesque cloister is a special part of the cathedral. It has many columns with amazing sculptures on their tops, called capitals. These sculptures show fantasy creatures, animals, and plants. The frieze (a decorative band) above them tells stories from the New Testament. One of the artists who worked on the cloister was Arnau Cadell.
Inside the cloister, there's also the Chapel of Our Lady of Gràcia i de Bell-Ull. This chapel was once a gate to the cloister and was updated in the Gothic period. Its entrance has a sculpture of the Virgin Mary made by Master Bartomeu in the 13th century. Many tombs of important people from the monastery are found in the cloister's walkways, dating from the 14th to 18th centuries.
Cathedral Treasury and Museum
The cathedral has a museum with many valuable and historic items. The most famous item is the Tapestry of Creation. This tapestry is from the 11th or early 12th century and is considered one of the best examples of Romanesque tapestries.
Other important artworks include:
- The Gerona Beatus: A very old, beautifully decorated book from the 10th century.
- The Casket of Caliph al-Hakam II: A 10th-century box, believed to be a gift to his son.
- A sculpture of "Charlemagne" by Jaume Cascalls (1345), though it might actually be King Peter IV of Aragon.
- A 15th-century Gothic Pietà (a work showing Mary mourning Jesus) by Jaume Cabrera.
- A 16th-century Renaissance artwork of St. Mary Magdalene by Pere Mates.
- A Renaissance Saint Helen artwork by Antoni Norri and Pere Fernández.
- A fancy Baroque bed for Our Lady of August, made by Lluís Bonifaç i Massó and gilded by Bruno Rigalt.
- The Cross of the Pearls: A 16th-century silver cross with colorful enamel. It shows Christ crucified on one side and Our Lady of the Pearls on the other.
The museum also has other paintings and items from the Medieval to Baroque periods. These include processional crosses, reliquaries (containers for holy relics), and monstrances (vessels for showing the Eucharist).
Filming Location
The TV show Game of Thrones filmed some outdoor scenes for its sixth season at the cathedral and its steps. The cathedral was used to represent the Great Sept, a large religious building in the show. Special effects changed parts of the building for the episodes "Blood of My Blood" and "The Winds of Winter".
Images for kids
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Main façade and grand staircase (Baroque)
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Rear view of the cathedral. The Charlemagne bell tower, from the 11th century, is on the right side.
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The southern portico of the Apostles (the statues of the Apostles are missing)
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The 18th-century bell tower
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A close-up view of the façade from an angle
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View of the cathedral, with the Eiffel Bridge over the Onyar in the front
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View of the Romanesque cloister
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Rose windows seen from inside
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Retable of Saint Mary Magdalene, by Pere Mates (Renaissance)
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Sculpture of Countess Ermessenda of Carcassonne, by Guillem Morell (around 1385), originally on her Gothic tomb
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Tomb of Count Ramon Berenguer II, by Guillem Morell (around 1385)
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Chapel of the Holy Martyrs, with a stone Gothic Casket of the Holy Martyrs of Girona from the 14th century in the front (the 4 busts on it are from 1659), and a Baroque retable from 1679 in the back
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Chapel of Saint Andrew
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Christ recumbent (1958), by Domènec Fita i Molat, and Tapestry of the Resurrection (1560)
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Tapestry of Creation, in the Cathedral Museum
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Ivory casket, in the Cathedral Museum
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St. Helen Altarpiece, in the Cathedral Museum
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