Sigüenza Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Santa María de Sigüenza |
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| Native name Spanish: Catedral de Santa María de Sigüenza |
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| Location | Sigüenza, Castile-La Mancha, Spain |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Church |
| Official name: Catedral de Santa María de Sigüenza | |
| Type | Non-movable |
| Criteria | Monument |
| Designated | 1931 |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0000599 |
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The Cathedral of Sigüenza, also known as the Cathedral of Santa María de Sigüenza, is a very old and important church in the town of Sigüenza, Spain. It's the main church for the bishop of Sigüenza. In 1931, it was named a Bien de Interés Cultural, which means it's a special cultural landmark in Spain.
This cathedral is dedicated to Santa María la Mayor, who is the Virgin Mary and the patron saint of Sigüenza. Its story began in January 1124. That's when Bishop Bernard of Agen took the city back from the Muslims. He had been made bishop in 1121. Later, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile helped the city grow by bringing together two parts: an upper town near the castle and a lower town by the Henares River.
The main part of the church, called the central nave, was built in the 15th century in the Gothic style. In the 16th century, some older Romanesque parts were changed to add a walkway around the main altar, called an ambulatory. The two tall towers on the front of the cathedral have special castle-like tops called merlons.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The archbishop of Toledo, Bernard of Sédirac, asked Bernard of Agen to become the bishop of Sigüenza in 1121. At that time, the city was still controlled by the Almoravids, a Muslim group.
On February 1, 1124, Queen Urraca of Leon gave the church and its bishop the right to collect tithes (a kind of tax) from nearby towns. Bishop Bernard of Agen made sure the church followed the "Roman rite" and stopped the "Mozarabic rite," which was an older Spanish Christian tradition. During his time as bishop, he received many gifts from King Alfonso VII of León and Castile. The city was divided into two parts, but after it was taken back, they became one city under the church's control.
Bishop Bernard died in battle in 1152. His nephew, Peter of Leucate, became the next bishop.
How the Cathedral Was Built
In 1138, King Alfonso VII of León and Castile gave the land for the church. A document from 1144 says that Bishop Bernard of Agen rebuilt an early cathedral. It might have been built on top of an even older church from the Visigothic or Mozarabic times.
The original Romanesque church had three main sections, called naves, and a front part with five apses (rounded ends). There was a defense tower on each side of the front. By the end of the 12th century, the five altars in the apses were ready.
In the 13th century, a beautiful rose window was added to the south side of the church. The main central nave, which is in the Gothic style, was built in the 14th century. Another rose window was added to the main front in the 15th century.
Sadly, the cathedral was damaged during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. From 1943 to 1949, a sculptor named Florentino Trapero helped fix the damaged statues.
Outside the Cathedral
Western Front and Entrance Area
The main front of the cathedral faces west. It mixes Romanesque styles with later Neoclassical and Baroque additions. It has three doors separated by two strong buttresses.
The large entrance area, called the atrium, was built in 1536. It has 21 stone columns with carved lions on top. It's a big space, about 48 by 24 meters.
Main Doors
The middle door is called the "Puerta de los Perdones" (Door of Pardons). It has a round arch with many decorative layers, called archivolts. Above this door is a pediment with a Baroque carving showing Saint Ildefonsus. There's also a 13th-century rose window here that lets light into the central nave.
Towers of the Main Front
The two tall sandstone towers on either side of the main front were first built for defense. They have square bases and small Romanesque windows. The tower on the right, called "las Campanas" (the Bells), is 40.5 meters tall. Its top part was added in the 14th century. The tower on the left, called "Don Fadrique," is 41.7 meters tall and was finished in the 16th century.
Southern Front or Market Side
If you go past the "las Campanas" tower, you'll find the south front. Here, you can see Gothic stained glass windows in the higher central nave. The windows of the lower side nave show a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles.
Market Door
Further east, you'll find the "Puerta del Mercado" (Market Door). It's a Romanesque door from the 12th century. It's covered by a Neoclassical porch built in 1797. Above this door is a 13th-century rose window with a unique design.
Rooster Tower
The "Torre del Gallo" (Rooster Tower) is from the early 14th century. It was originally a military watchtower used to send signals to the Sigüenza Castle. It has been repaired many times over the years.
Northern Front
This side looks similar to the south side but has a different rose window. On this front, there's a tower on the sacristy (a room for church items) that was never finished.
Eastern Front
On this side, which is the back of the church, you can see the ambulatory. This walkway replaced five older Romanesque chapels. The tall Gothic windows belong to the presbytery, the area around the main altar.
Inside the Cathedral
The cathedral is shaped like a Latin cross. It has three main sections (naves), a wide transept (the cross-arm), and a large apse at the front. The main chapel is in this apse, surrounded by the ambulatory.
The cathedral is about 80 meters long and 31 meters wide at the transept. The central nave is over 10 meters wide and 28 meters high. The side naves are 21 meters high.
Huge pillars separate the naves. These pillars have many columns attached to them, with carvings of plants on their tops, called capitals. From these capitals, stone "ribs" spread out to form the ribbed vaults of the ceiling. Most of these vaults have a simple cross shape, but some are more complex.
The church's layout changed over time. The right nave still doesn't have many side chapels. But the left nave has many chapels built along its wall, next to the cloister.
San Pedro Parish Chapel
The first chapel on the left side, near the front of the cathedral, is the San Pedro Parish. It was built in 1455 by Bishop Fernando Luján. Its entrance is in the Plateresque style, made by Francisco de Baeza. The metal screen, called a grid, was made by Juan Francés in 1533.
Bishop Pedro de Godoy greatly changed and enlarged this chapel in 1675. He added three sections to the ceiling, keeping the Gothic style even though it was built much later. The main altar has a statue of Saint Peter. Below it is a sculpture of the Santísima Trinidad (Holy Trinity) from 1861.
On the wall of this chapel is the tomb of Bishop Fernando Luján from the 15th century. It's in the Gothic style with scenes from the life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
San Valero Door
This door, built in the early 16th century, mixes different styles. It has Renaissance pilasters, Mudéjar patterns, and Gothic arches. This door leads to the cloister, where the Chapel of San Valero is located. This chapel is the oldest in the cathedral.
Chapel of the Annunciation or La Purísima
This chapel was started in 1515. Its beautiful entrance is decorated in the "Cisneros style" with Plateresque pilasters and small niches holding statues. The arch has geometric Mudéjar designs. The metal screen is Gothic, made by Juan Francés. Inside, the chapel has a Gothic vault, and on its left wall is the tomb of Fernando Montemayor.
Chapel of San Marcos
This chapel has a Gothic front with rich Plateresque decorations. Juan Ruiz de Pelegrina, who is buried inside, ordered this chapel. It has an altarpiece with six paintings from the 16th century by Francisco del Rincón.
Tomb of Juan González Monjua and Antón González
This tomb is special because of how the figures are placed. Juan González Monjua is on the tomb itself, and his nephew Antón González is angled against the wall. Both wear similar clothes. Juan González Monjua was an ambassador for John II of Castile. His nephew, Antón González, started a charity to help the poor.
Crossing
The crossing is the part where the main nave and the transept meet. It's over 36 meters long and as high as the central nave. After the Spanish Civil War in 1936, a lantern tower was built in the center of the crossing.
In the 16th century, beautiful Plateresque altars were added here. The ceiling of the crossing has ribbed vaults. The dome of the lantern tower has eight windows that let in natural light.
Modern Sacristy or Wilgefortis Sacristy
This room is in the northern part of the transept. It has a Plateresque entrance by Francisco de Baeza. It features carved plant designs and the coat of arms of Bishop Fadrique de Portugal.
Wilgefortis Reredos
In the Middle Ages, cathedrals often had relics of a martyr for protection. Bishop Bernard of Agen brought the relics of Saint Wilgefortis to Sigüenza.
This large altarpiece, called a reredos, is like a huge tomb made of limestone. It's dedicated to Wilgefortis and shows a perfect mix of architecture, sculpture, and painting from the Renaissance-Plateresque style. It looks like a triumphal arch with three parts, designed by Alonso de Covarrubias in 1518. Inside, there's a silver box holding the saint's relics.
The altarpiece also has six paintings by Juan Soreda from 1525 to 1528. The main painting shows the Deesis (Christ with Mary and John the Baptist). Other paintings show scenes from Wilgefortis's life. The image of Wilgefortis enthroned was inspired by a famous engraving.
Mausoleum of Fadrique de Portugal
The tomb of Fadrique de Portugal is in the Plateresque style. It was ordered by the bishop himself and designed by Alonso de Covarrubias around 1520. The work was finished by Francisco de Baeza and his team by 1539, the year the bishop died.
This altarpiece has three main sections. It includes the bishop's coat of arms and statues of saints. In the middle section, there's a statue of Bishop Fadrique kneeling with two priests. The top part shows a Pieta (Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion) and a colorful Calvary scene.
Chapel of the Doncel
The most famous part of this chapel, and perhaps the whole cathedral, is the tomb of Martín Vázquez de Arce, known as the "doncel" (young nobleman) of Sigüenza. It's considered a masterpiece of tomb sculpture.
This chapel is on the south side of the transept. It was once dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury. The entrance has a metal gate made by Juan Francés between 1526 and 1532. Inside, there are several tombs. In the center is the Renaissance-style tomb of the doncel's parents, Fernando de Arce and Catalina de Sosa. Their statues lie on top, supported by lions.
The doncel's tomb rests on three lions under an arch. The statue of the doncel is made of alabaster. He's wearing armor with the cross of Saint James on his chest. What's special is that he's not lying down asleep, but leaning back, with one leg over the other, reading a book. The tomb is beautifully carved and painted. It was made between 1486 (when the doncel died) and 1504.
The inscription on the tomb tells his story: he was a knight who died fighting the Moors in 1486.
Gothic Reredos of Saint John and Saint Catherine
This altarpiece is next to the Chapel of the Doncel. It has several paintings from around 1440. The central painting shows the Crucifixion, and others show scenes from the lives of Saint John and Saint Catherine. Some parts of this altarpiece are now in the Museo del Prado museum.
Reredos of Our Lady of Milk
This altarpiece is attached to a pillar on the right side of the choir. It has an alabaster statue from 1514. The altarpiece itself is in the Plateresque style, made by Francisco de Baeza.
Ambulatory
The ambulatory was built in the late 16th century. It replaced the older Romanesque apse, which had five chapels. This new walkway goes around the main apse.
One of the chapels from the 12th century, Saint John the Baptist, became a smaller sacristy. Its entrance is now from the ambulatory. Next to it is the tomb of Bishop Bernard of Agen, made in 1449. The main sacristy, called the "chapel of the heads," and the Chapel of the Holy Spirit are also here.
Main Sacristy or Chapel of the Heads
This sacristy is in the northern part of the ambulatory. Its entrance is a Plateresque stone portal from 1573. Inside, the doors are made of walnut wood with carvings of saints.
The chapel has a rectangular shape with arches along its walls. The ceiling is a half-barrel vault completely covered with over 300 carved heads! These heads show all kinds of people from that time: bishops, monks, warriors, kings, peasants, and nobles. The wooden furniture inside was also made by Martín de Vandoma.
Chapel of the Holy Spirit
You can enter this chapel from the Chapel of the Heads. It has a very decorated entrance and a beautiful wrought iron gate from 1561. The gate was designed by Esteban Jamete and paid for by Bishop Fernando Niño de Guevara.
The chapel has a square shape and Plateresque decorations. Its ceiling is a dome with a majestic roof lantern at the top, showing the Eternal Father. On the walls, there's a painting of the Annunciation. The altar holds busts of saints with relics inside.
Chapel of the Christ of Mercy
This chapel is on the right side of the ambulatory. It used to be a tabernacle or sacristy. It has a Plateresque entrance from 1498. The iron gate was made in 1649. Inside, it has a late Gothic vault from the 15th century and a Baroque altarpiece from the 17th century. There's also a wooden crucifix called Christ of Mercy from the 16th century.
The front part of the chancel is square and has a six-part vault. It has four pointed windows on the north and south sides.
Gospel Pulpit
This pulpit is on the left side (Gospel side), near the main chapel entrance. It's an important Plateresque work from the late 16th century. It has an eight-sided shape with scenes from the Passion of Christ. It was built by Martín de Vandoma in 1572.
Epistle Pulpit
This pulpit is on the right side (Epistle side) at the entrance to the main chapel. It's made of white marble in the Gothic style. Cardinal Mendoza ordered and donated it. It has carvings related to the cardinal-bishop and was made by Rodrigo Alemán in 1495–1496.
Main Chapel
This chapel is in the main apse of the old Romanesque church. It has a vaulted ceiling divided into nine parts with seven pointed windows. It used to have the original choir made of alabaster. In the 16th century, the choir was moved to the center of the main nave. Cardinal Mendoza had the chapel restored and its walls raised.
You enter this area between two pulpits, one Gothic and one Plateresque. There's also a wrought iron gate made in 1633.
Inside, there are several tombs. On the right wall, there's the Gothic tomb of Bishop Alfonso Carrillo de Albornoz (1424–1434). It's a very realistic statue of the bishop lying down. Another tomb is that of Bishop Peter of Leucate, the first builder of the cathedral.
Main Altar
The large altarpiece for the Main Chapel was ordered by Bishop Fray Mateo de Burgos. Sculptors Pompeo Leoni and Giraldo de Merlo signed the contract in 1608. After Pompeo Leoni died, Giraldo de Merlo finished the work. It was built between 1609 and 1613 in the Mannerist style.
The altarpiece has a base and three main sections, topped with a crown. The base has four carvings showing scenes from the Passion of Christ. The first section has a tabernacle with statues of saints and the Last Supper. The second section has the Assumption (Mary going to heaven) and large carvings of the Adoration of the Kings and the Nativity. The third section has a Calvary (Christ on the cross with Mary and Saint John the Baptist) and carvings of Pentecost and the Ascension of Christ. The very top has a large shield of the bishop.
Choir
The choir is in the center of the main nave. Cardinal Mendoza (1467–1495) had it built, replacing an older one.
The back of the bishop's chair has carved images and Cardinal Mendoza's shield. There are also two large stands where the organ is located.
Pipe Organs
The cathedral had three pipe organs between 1522 and 1538. One was decorated by Juan Soreda.
A new pipe organ was opened on November 26, 2011. It replaced an organ from 1750 that was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
Backchoir
In 1666, three altarpieces on the back wall were replaced with a Baroque altarpiece of Santa María de la Mayor. In a niche in the middle is a statue of Santa María de la Mayor, the patron saint of Sigüenza.
There's also a Romanesque sculpture of the same saint from the 12th century, made of painted cypress wood. It shows Jesus and holds a fleur-de-lis. It was damaged in the 14th century and later covered with silver. It was damaged again during the Spanish Civil War and fixed in 1974.
This nave doesn't have any chapels. Near the main entrance, there's an altarpiece dedicated to Saint Bartholomew or Saint Cecilia. There's also a Baroque altarpiece from 1718 dedicated to Saint Anne, and another from 1691 for Saint Paschal Baylon. Next to the altarpiece of Our Lady of the Snows is the tomb of Pedro García de la Cornudilla from 1462.
Cloister
The cloister is a square courtyard attached to the north side of the cathedral. It measures 40 meters on each side. Its four galleries have seven large Gothic windows, protected by iron gates. The galleries have different names, like "Panda de San Sebastián" and "Panda del Palacio." There are two doors leading to the central garden with a stone fountain. Many people were buried in the walls of the cloister.
The new Gothic-style cloister was rebuilt in 1505. It replaced an older Romanesque one that had a falling-apart wooden roof. Bishop Bernardino López de Carvajal started this project, with help from Cardinal Cisneros. The cloister mixes Late Gothic style with Renaissance elements. The ceilings of the galleries have six-part vaults with colorful keystones showing the shields of the church and the bishop.
In the eastern part, there's the summer chapter house, the old chapel of Our Lady of Peace, and the Diocesan Museum. This museum has a wonderful collection of Flemish tapestries. The south gallery is also used for burials and has the "Puerta del Jaspe" (Jasper Door) that connects to the cathedral.
Chapel of the Conception
Bishop Diego Serrano ordered the building of the Chapel of the Conception in 1509 for his and his family's burial. His tomb was once in the center of the chapel. The bishop's shields are near the entrance arch.
This chapel is in the north gallery of the cloister. It's in the Gothic style with Renaissance decorations. The vaulted ceiling is a mix of Gothic and Mudéjar styles, with colorful keystones. On the walls, you can still see parts of old wall paintings that look like windows showing gardens and cities.
The entrance has two decorated pilasters and a stone statue of the Virgin Mary. The door is closed by a wrought iron gate made between 1498 and 1519.
Cathedral Museum
The museum is located in three rooms in the cloister.
The first room is the Chapter Room, which was later the Library. It has the cathedral's first ribbed vaults, showing an early Gothic style mixed with Romanesque walls. This room also has tapestries and busts of bishops.
The second room is the Summer Chapter Room, which used to be the chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Paz. It also has tapestries and the old choir.
The third room was once the old forge. It also contains Flemish tapestries and has been restored.
Tapestries
Bishop Andrés Bravo de Salamanca ordered 16 tapestries for the cathedral from workshops in Brussels in 1662. They were finished in 1668. Eight of them show the story of Romulus and Remus, and the other eight show the virtues of the goddess Athena.
