Guadix Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guadix Cathedral |
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| Cathedral of the Incarnation, Guadix | |
Façade
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| 37°18′04″N 3°08′11″W / 37.3012°N 3.1363°W | |
| Location | Guadix |
| Country | Spain |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Cathedral |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Diego de Siloé, Francisco Roldán, Francisco Antero, Blas Antonio Delgado, Vicente Acero, Gaspar Cayón de la Vega, Fernández Pachote and Domingo Thomas |
| Architectural type | church |
| Style | Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 16th century |
| Completed | 18th century |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Guadix-Baza |
Guadix Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Incarnation (Spanish: Catedral de la Encarnación de Guadix), is a beautiful Roman Catholic church located in Guadix, a city in the province of Granada, Spain. This impressive building was started in the 1500s and finished in the mid-1700s. It is famous for its grand Baroque style.
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History of Guadix Cathedral
Guadix is thought to have one of the oldest diocesan seats in Spain. A tradition says that the diocese was started by Saint Torquatus of Acci in the first century A.D. The cathedral stands on the spot where an older Hispano-Visigothic church once stood. This church was there in the 10th century and was even used as a mosque during the Islamic period.
From Mosque to Cathedral
During the Reconquista, which was the Christian reconquest of Spain, Guadix was captured in 1489. The old Hispano-Visigothic church was then made into a bishopric again. It was named the Church of Saint Mary of the Incarnation. A special order from Pope Innocent VIII officially made it a cathedral. It was also made a bit bigger under the guidance of Pedro de Morales.
Planning the New Cathedral
There were plans to replace the old church with a new Gothic cathedral. This new building was meant to be a symbol of the Reconquista. However, by the time construction began, the Gothic style was already considered old-fashioned. Important leaders like Cardinal Ávalos wanted a cathedral that looked more modern.
In 1549, Diego de Siloé was hired to create a new design. His plan was inspired by the cathedrals in Málaga and Granada. Parts of the cathedral, like the apse, a section of the crossing, the chapel of Don Tadeo, and part of the sacristy, were built following Siloé's ideas.
Building the Grand Structure
Many architects helped design the new cathedral, including Francisco Roldán and Francisco Antero, along with Siloé. Siloé designed the main chapel in a Renaissance style. It featured a mix of straight lines and curves, with lots of classical decorations. Juan de Arredondo was chosen as the master builder.
The Freyla brothers, Pedro and Miguel, spent many years working on a tower. This tower was meant to be a special symbol for the city.
In 1574, work on the cathedral stopped because there wasn't enough money. It didn't start again until 1594, when Bishop Juan de Fonseca y Guzmán helped restart the project.
At the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century, the work got a new boost. The king provided money to help. Blas Antonio Delgado was put in charge of the new plans. He made changes to the design, focusing more on horizontal lines. Delgado created the overall design of the cathedral, its elevations, the doors, and the cupola. However, in 1714, he had to move to Jaén.
Vicente Acero then took over. He changed the plans quite a bit before he also had to move. The city government asked Francisco de Hurtado Izquierdo for help. Instead of taking on the project himself, he suggested Gaspar Cayón de la Vega. Cayón de la Vega had a big impact on the later parts of the building. His work can be seen in the vaulting, the dome, and the portada de las Azucenas (the front part of the building with lily designs), which Acero had started.
When Cayón de la Vega left for Cádiz in 1731, the main front of the building (façade) was being built according to his plans. However, other architects like Vicente Acero, Pachote, and Thomas added parts that were not in Cayón's original design.
Features of the Cathedral
The chapel of Don Tadeo shows strong Italian influences in how its arches are built within a round structure. Another important part is the front of the sacristy. It has a Renaissance pediment (a triangular top part), an entablature (a decorated band), and an arch between Corinthian columns. These columns feature the coats of arms of the city's bishops.
The façade, or front of the cathedral, is a wonderful example of Baroque architecture. It has two main sections and a tall top part, with curved and straight lines that go back and forth. The large central section is flanked by two doorframes made of groups of wide columns. The upper part was created by Fernández Pachote and Domingo Thomas. Antonio Valeriano Moyano sculpted the marble statue of the Incarnation.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Guadix para niños
