Ourense Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ourense Cathedral |
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West façade and monumental stairway.
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Ourense |
| Location | |
| Location | Ourense, Galicia, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | church |
| Architectural style | Mainly Gothic |
| Completed | 1220 |
The Ourense Cathedral is a very old and important church in Ourense, a city in Galicia, Spain. It is also known as the Catedral de Ourense or Catedral do San Martiño. This beautiful building is dedicated to Saint Martin. It was first built way back in 550 AD!
The main building you see today is mostly in the Gothic style. It was started around 1220 with help from Bishop Lorenzo Hispano. The cathedral has changed over time, showing different styles like Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical. It has a special shape, like a Latin Cross, when you look at it from above. Since 1887, it has been an official basilica.
Contents
History of Ourense Cathedral
How the Cathedral Began
The very first church in Ourense was called Santa María la Madre. Then, in 550 AD, a king named Chararic from the Suebian people built a second church. This church was dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours and stood where the cathedral is today. Around the same time, the old arch bridge, Ponte Vella, was built over the river. This made it easier for people to reach the city's warm springs.
Challenges and Rebuilding
Over many centuries, the cathedral faced tough times. It was damaged several times by invaders like the Moors and the Northmen. The building we see now was constructed as a Romanesque church in the 12th and 13th centuries. Bishop Lorenzo helped a lot with this construction. He also helped build a new bridge and the bishop's palace. Later, Gothic parts were added until the early 1500s. We don't have many old papers about its building, but we know the main altar was officially blessed in 1188.
Becoming a National Treasure
In June 1931, the Ourense Cathedral was named a national monument. This means it's a very important historical building in Spain. Since 1887, it has also been officially called a basilica, which is a special title given by the Pope to important churches.
Exploring the Cathedral's Design
Overall Shape and Size
The Ourense Cathedral is shaped like a Latin cross when viewed from above. It has a long central part called the nave, with slightly lower aisles on each side. The cathedral is about 84 meters (275 feet) long. It measures about 43 meters (141 feet) across the transept, which is the shorter part of the cross shape.
The Lantern Tower
Above where the transept crosses the nave, there's an octagonal lantern tower. This tower has three levels of windows and was finished in 1505 by Rodrigo de Badajoz. It lets light into the center of the church.
Chapels and Choir
The back part of the church, called the apse, was later changed into a walkway with several chapels. These include the 15th-century St John's Chapel and the 16th-century Chapel of Snows. In the 20th century, the chancel (the area around the altar) was removed. The choir stalls, where the choir sits, were then moved into the main part of the church and into Christ's Chapel.
The North Door
The North Door, or Portada Norte, started as a Romanesque design but has many Gothic additions. Above the door, there's a sculpture called a tympanum. It shows Mary holding Christ's body. Other carvings show Saint Martin sharing his cloak and Saint James the apostle. The towers on either side of the door were added to protect it after it was damaged in 1471.
The South Door and Towers
The South Door, or Portada Sur, has beautiful decorations. To its right, there's a clock tower from the 16th century. The east side of the cathedral has the unfinished Tower of St Martin and a 40-meter-tall bell tower. This bell tower was fixed in the late 1800s because it was damaged by the big earthquake that hit Lisbon in 1755. You can still see a lovely rose window from the 16th century.
Inside the Cathedral
When you step inside, you can clearly see the Gothic style in the nave, with its decorative arches and vaulted ceiling. Over the years, repairs and additions have also brought Renaissance and Baroque decorations to the chapels.
The Main Altar
The cathedral's main altarpiece is in a fancy Gothic style. It's thought to be the work of Cornielles de Holanda. It has five tall panels, each divided into smaller sections. Saint Martin is shown in the middle panel as the cathedral's patron saint. Other panels show scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary. On each side of the main altar, there are two other altars honoring the martyred saints of Ourense: Facundus, Primitivus, and Euphemia.
Christ's Chapel
Christ's Chapel (La capilla del Santo Cristo) is to the right of the North Door. It used to have a figure of Christ, but now it has an altar with Our Lady of the Pillar. This chapel was built because Bishop Vasco Pérez Mariño wanted to be buried close to the figure of Christ. The chapel is decorated in a very fancy Baroque style. It has a Renaissance screen by Juan Bautista Celma and a canopy by Domingo de Andrade. Other decorations were made by Francisco de Castro Canseco. The Renaissance choir stalls, which were once in the main chancel, were made by Diego de Solís and Juan de Angers. The chapel also has many other interesting items, including 18th-century paintings showing scenes from Christ's life.
The Portico of Paradise
The 13th-century Portico of Paradise (Pórtico del Paraíso) was built by students of Master Mateo. He is famous for his "Pórtico de la Gloria" in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This portico has three arches supported by thin columns. The central column has a statue of Saint James (Santiago) holding a sword. This sword reminds people of a story where he supposedly helped in a battle. The original 13th-century statue was replaced in the 1800s. A statue of the Virgin of Consolation with Christ's body was also added in the 1800s.
Other carvings show Christ being tempted by the devil, a medallion of God the Father, and a small shrine showing Saint Martin tearing his cloak. The arches above the central door have figures of the 24 elders from the Book of Revelation. The columns themselves are carved with apostles and prophets. The tops of the columns, called capitals, show different scenes. These include Christ's temptations, centaurs fighting mermaids, dragons, and harpies with scary faces. The brightly colored figures on the pillars were restored in the 1700s, but they keep their original Romanesque colors. Two Baroque chapels on the sides have an altarpiece by Francisco de Castro Canseco and a statue of San Francisco Blanco from Ourense.
Tombs of Important People
The Ourense Cathedral became the final resting place for several important people from the 1200s to the 1400s. Their tombs are found in different chapels, showing the changing Gothic styles. For example, Bishop Vasco Pérez Mariño (who died in 1342) is buried in the northern transept. Bishop Lorenzo (who died in the mid-1100s) is buried in the nave. Don Alonso González del Padrón is buried near St Luke's chapel. There's also the tomb of the Infantina, who might have been a Castilian princess, near the Capilla de las Nieves. Two other bishops, including Bishop Quevedo, are buried on the wall of the epistle.
Cathedral Museum
You can visit the cathedral museum by going through a Romanesque door that leads to the Gothic cloisters, known as Claustra Nova. The museum has many interesting items. These include El Incunable de Monterrey, which was the first book ever printed in Galicia in 1494. You can also see Enrique de Arfe's processional cross, beautiful 13th-century enamels from Limoges, and the special Treasure of San Rosendo. The museum also holds the oldest Christian tombstone found in Galicia, which came from Baños de Bande.
See also
In Spanish: Catedral de Orense para niños
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Ourense
