Tarragona Cathedral facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of Tarragona Catedral Basílica de Tarragona Metropolitana i Primada
The main façade
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
District	Archdiocese of Tarragona
Rite	Roman
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Cathedral
Patron	Saint Thecla
Location
Location	Tarragona, Spain
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Romanesque, Gothic

The Tarragona Cathedral is a very old and important church in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. It's a Catholic cathedral. This amazing building stands on a spot that has been important for a long time. Before the cathedral, there was a Roman temple, then a Visigothic church, and later a Moorish mosque. In 1905, it was named a national monument.

History of the Cathedral

We don't know much about how the church first started. We do know that a church group existed in Tarragona in the late 1000s. The cathedral you see today began being built in 1154. This was ordered by Archbishop Bernat Tort. It was built for monks who followed the Augustinian rule.

Plan of the church

The first cathedral, built in the early 1100s, was likely in the Romanesque style. It might have had one main hall and a large rounded end. At that time, people focused on making it strong, like the huge bell tower.

A new building plan started in 1195. This changed the church's design to a basilica style. They added two side aisles and a transept (the cross-shaped part). These new parts were built in the Gothic style. Kings Alfons II and Peter IV of Aragon helped pay for the building.

Part of the new church opened for worship between 1215 and 1234. In 1250, Pere d'Albalat ordered a dome to be built over the transept. In 1277, Bartolomeu de Girona started work on the main entrance. The figures of the apostles and the main carving above the door were made by Jaume Cascalls and his team around 1375. The new cathedral was officially opened in 1331 by Archbishop John of Aragon and Anjou.

Restoration work was done on the cathedral from 1999 to 2001. During this time, they found signs of a Roman temple under the main hall. This temple was dedicated to the Roman emperor Augustus.

Cathedral Architecture

Adam and Eve, in the portal decoration

The cathedral shows a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. It has a main hall and two side aisles. It also has a transept with arms of different sizes. There are three rounded ends (apses) with deep areas for the altar. The main apse has three windows at the bottom and seven more at the top. These upper windows are pointed, in the Gothic style.

The main hall is 26 meters high at the dome. It is 16.5 meters long and wide. The side aisles are 13 meters high and 8.25 meters wide. The total length of the main part of the church is 101 meters. The main hall and aisles have cross vaults. Their support ribs rest on pillars with columns. The tops of these columns have designs inspired by Moorish art. The windows are either Romanesque (with rounded arches) or Gothic (with stained glass).

The eight-sided dome tower was built in the mid-1200s. It also has cross vaults. The altar area and the apse still have a beautiful Romanesque floor. It is made of stone and marble in different colors, forming geometric patterns.

Roof of the Cathedral

The wooden seats for the choir were made by Francisco Gomar in the 1400s. The organ is from the late 1500s. It was designed by the architect Jaume Amigó.

Cathedral Chapels

The cathedral has many smaller chapels. Here are a few:

• The Chapel of the Virgin Mary (1520) has an altarpiece from the early 1400s.
• The Chapel of the Virgin of Montserrat has an altarpiece started by Guerau Gener. Lluís Borrassà finished it in the early 1400s.
• The Chapel of the Conception (1674) is in the Baroque style.
• The Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre (1494) holds a Roman stone coffin from the 300s AD.
• The Chapel of the Holiest (1592) is in the right transept. It has a large arch at its entrance and an eight-sided dome.
• The Chapel of St. Mary of the Taylors was built before 1350. It has a special stone altarpiece from 1368 by Aloi de Montbrai.
• The Major Chapel has a famous Gothic sculpture by Pere Johan (1426–1434). It is made of colored alabaster.
• The Chapel of St. Tecla (1777) is dedicated to the patron saint of Tarragona.
• The Chapel of St. Michael and All the Angels (mid-1300s) has sculptures of angels. It also has an altarpiece showing St. Michael.
• The Chapel of the Baptistery (1340–1344) has many sculptures. These include the Evangelists and other saints.

Exterior Design

Figures of apostles in the main portal

The main front of the cathedral is not fully finished. It has three entrances. The central one is Gothic in style, similar to cathedrals in Amiens and Reims. The other two are Romanesque. Above the main entrance is a large rose window. It is like the ones in the Monastery of Sant Cugat or the Cathedral of Majorca. Its twelve spokes represent the twelve tribes of Israel or the apostles. This window is 11 meters wide. The two side entrances also have smaller rose windows.

The main gate was made by master Bartolomeu from 1277 to about 1291. It has pointed arches that get smaller. Below each arch and on the side pillars are figures of saints and prophets. These were made by Jaume Cascalls and his team. A statue of the Virgin Mary stands in the middle of the entrance. Its base shows scenes from the Bible, like the creation of Adam and Eve. Above the door is a pointed carving showing the Final Judgement. Christ and angels are at the top. Below this is a Gothic window made by Jaume Cascalls in 1375. The iron doors are from the 1400s.

The Cloister

View of the cloister

The cloister is a peaceful courtyard next to the cathedral. Its construction might have started around 1194 or later, around 1214. It is a rectangle, about 47 by 46 meters. It has a large central garden and four covered walkways. These walkways have pillars that divide them. Some parts have drains that send rainwater to an old Roman sewer, which is still used!

The arches of the walkways are grouped in threes. Each group has three smaller round arches. Above these are two small rose windows. And above those is a large pointed arch. Above this arch is a decorative band in a Moorish style. The tops of the columns have carvings of religious stories. These include angels visiting Abraham and the story of Cain and Abel. In one corner, there are scenes from the Bible, like the story of St. Nicholas. On the wall of the eastern walkway, there is an Arabic writing from the year 960. It came from the old mosque that was here.

You enter the cloister through a Romanesque gate from the 1200s. It has a carving of God and the symbols of the four Evangelists. The columns supporting the arches have carvings of plants and scenes of the three Marys visiting Christ's tomb. The central column is decorated with a reptile and scenes from the life of Jesus.

Since 1933, a fun tradition called the "dancing egg" takes place at the cloister fountain.

Chapel of Corpus Christi

The Capitular Hall was built in the mid-1100s. It could be reached from the cloister or the church. In 1330, it became the Chapel of Corpus Christi. It has a square shape and a rounded ceiling. The entrance has a main door with windows on each side. The central stone of the apse (added in the 1300s) shows Christ. The arch has symbols of the Evangelists. The apse also has sculptures of the Annunciation and the decorated tomb of Alemanda de Rocabertí (who died in 1373).

The walls of the Hall have several sculptures of saints from the 1300s. Some still have traces of their original colors.

Chapel of Santa Tecla l'Antiga

Inside the cathedral's garden is a chapel called Santa Tecla l'Antiga ("St. Tecla the Ancient"). It was built in the 1200s, mixing Romanesque and Gothic styles. It holds the tomb of Bernat de Olivella (died 1287), made by master Bartolomeu of Girona.

View of the bell tower

The Bell Tower

The Gothic bell tower is located over the smaller southern apse. Bishop Roderic Tello ordered it to be built between 1289 and 1308. It has a square base that turns into an eight-sided shape. The upper part (from the 1300s) has two floors. The first floor has pointed decorations and windows. Above this is a small temple, built in 1511, which holds the bells.

The bell tower is 70 meters tall.

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