San Sebastián Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Good Shepherd Cathedral of San Sebastián Artzain Onaren katedrala Catedral del Buen Pastor de San Sebastián

Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Leadership	Mons. José Ignacio Munilla Aguirre
Year consecrated	30 July 1897
Location
Location	San Sebastián, Spain
Architecture
Architect(s)	Manuel de Echave
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1888 (1888)
Completed	1897
Construction cost	1 500 000 pesetas
Specifications
Direction of façade	NW
Capacity	4000
Length	90 metres (300 ft)
Width	43 metres (141 ft)
Width (nave)	14 metres (46 ft)
Height (max)	25 metres (82 ft)
Spire(s)	1
Spire height	75 metres (246 ft)

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is a very important church in San Sebastián, Spain. It is also known as Artzain Onaren katedrala in Basque and Catedral del Buen Pastor de San Sebastián in Spanish. This amazing building is the main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Sebastián.

It's the tallest and largest religious building in the area of Gipuzkoa. The cathedral was built in the late 1800s. Its style is called Neo-Gothic, which means it looks like old Gothic churches. The church is named after the Good Shepherd and became a cathedral in 1953.

History of the Cathedral
What the Cathedral Looks Like
- Inside the Cathedral
Gallery
See also

History of the Cathedral

In 1881, a new plan was made for churches in San Sebastián. People living in the southern part of the city wanted their own church. This area was known as the "Ensanche of Amara."

In August 1887, the city decided to give land for the church. This land was between the Urumea river and Beach of La Concha. It used to be sand dunes and marshland. Before the new church was ready, people used a temporary wooden church. It was called the Sacred Heart of Jesus and opened in 1888.

The queen regent, Maria Christina of Austria, and her son, King Alfonso XIII, opened the church in 1897

In December 1887, a meeting was held to plan the church. They decided on a budget of 750,000 pesetas. They also set the size and style for the church. Four designs were presented, and the one by Manuel de Echave was chosen. He was an architect from San Sebastián. The new church would be dedicated to the Good Shepherd.

The Spanish royal family was on holiday in the city. They were invited to the special event of laying the foundation stone. This happened on September 29, 1888. The queen regent, Maria Christina of Austria, and her children attended a church service. After the service, they went to the building site.

They placed a lead box inside the foundation stone. This box held pictures of the Pope and the royal family. It also had coins from that time and copies of newspapers. The baby king, Alfonso XIII of Spain, who was only two years old, signed the official document. His mother had to hold his hand to help him sign. This was his very first signature on an official paper!

Manuel de Echave oversaw the building work. The stone for the main structure came from Mount Igeldo. The roofs were made of slate from France. All the workers were from the Basque Country. The beautiful decorations and carvings were based on models by local artist Julio Gargallo.

View of the interior of the cathedral

After nine years of building, the Church of the Good Shepherd was ready. It was officially opened on July 30, 1897. The royal family, including Queen Regent María Cristina and King Alfonso XIII, attended the big ceremony. The tower was finished later in 1899. The total cost of building the church was more than 1,500,000 pesetas. This amount did not even include the altars inside!

In 1949, a new church area was created for San Sebastián. This meant the city needed its own main church, called a diocese. The Church of the Good Shepherd was chosen because it was so grand and modern. On July 30, 1953, the church officially became a Cathedral. This happened with the dedication of a new altar.

The church then had four years of changes to get it ready for its new role. The main area where the priest stands was changed. A new altar was put in, replacing the old one made of cedar wood. Other chapels were also updated for the cathedral's new needs.

In 1972, more improvements were made to the church. This was to celebrate its 75th anniversary. An old pulpit was removed. Some altars dedicated to different saints were also taken out. The roofs and windows were repaired. The walls and ceilings were cleaned. The old wooden floor was replaced with new marble. They also improved the lighting and added new benches.

What the Cathedral Looks Like

View of a facade of the cathedral

The architect Manuel de Echave was inspired by the famous Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Here are some interesting facts about the Good Shepherd Cathedral:

It covers an area of 1,915 square meters (about 20,613 square feet).
The main part of the church is 25 meters (82 feet) high.
Its tall tower reaches 75 meters (246 feet) into the sky.
The central part of the church is 64 meters (210 feet) long and 36 meters (118 feet) wide.
It can hold up to 4,000 people inside!

The church has a shape like a Latin cross. It has three long hallways called aisles and a cross-shaped section called a transept. The main tower is at the front entrance. It looks very similar to the tall spires of Cologne Cathedral. The many pillars and decorations make the building look even taller.

Inside the Cathedral

The Main Chapel was updated in 1972. It now has beautiful wooden seats for the choir. Above these seats is a sculpture of the Good Shepherd. This sculpture used to be on the old altar. It was made by the artist Joseph Llimona. He also made the figures of the Four Evangelists that are now on the pillars.

Under the large round windows, there are two altarpieces. These are like decorated screens behind the altars. They are in the Neo-Gothic style and covered in gold. They were added in 1907 and 1917. Other interesting altars are dedicated to the Holy Family, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Anthony, and Francis of Assisi. These were also made by Julio Gargallo.

Windows of the header

The Crypt

The crypt is a room located under the main part of the church. Since 1949, it has been used as the church's sacristy. This is where the priests prepare for services. The remains of the first priest, D. Martín Lorenzo de Urizar, are buried here.

Stained Glass Windows

The cathedral has beautiful Stained Glass windows. They were designed by Juan Bautista Lázaro. The windows in the main apse show the twelve apostles and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. There are also colorful windows in the baptistry. Other windows around the church let in lots of light. Two large round windows, called rose windows, are at the ends of the transept.

The Organ

The current organ was installed in 1954. At that time, it was the largest organ in Spain! It was also one of the biggest in all of Europe. The main part of the organ has five keyboards for hands and one for feet. It has 106 stops, which control different sounds.

There is also a smaller "echo organ" with two keyboards. The whole organ has 9,535 pipes! The largest pipe is 10 meters (33 feet) tall. The entire instrument weighs 30 tons. It cost more than 1.5 million pesetas. The money came from a gift left by Fermín Lasala, Duke of Mandas.