Valladolid Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Assumption
Main view of the Cathedral
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
District	Valladolid
Year consecrated	1668
Status	Active
Location
Location	Valladolid, Province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain
Architecture
Architect(s)	Juan de Herrera
Architectural type	church
Architectural style	Herrerian, Renaissance
Groundbreaking	1589
Direction of façade	Southeast
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Valladolid
3 June 1931
RI-51-0000980

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Assumption (also known as Valladolid Cathedral) is a big Roman Catholic church in Valladolid, Spain. A famous architect named Juan de Herrera designed its main layout. He used a style called Renaissance.

This cathedral was planned to be one of the biggest churches in Europe. It was meant to be the main cathedral for Spain's capital city. But only about half of it was ever built. This happened because the royal court moved to Madrid. Also, building on the ground where it stands was very difficult and expensive.

History of Valladolid Cathedral
- Early Plans and Construction
- Changes and Delays
About the Cathedral's Design
Gallery
See also

History of Valladolid Cathedral

Model of the Valladolid Cathedral. This model shows how the cathedral might have looked if finished differently from Herrera's plan.

A map showing the original plan for the cathedral (lines) and what was actually built (black outline).

This gate from the cathedral was sold in 1956. You can now see it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

The side of the cathedral with a special arch design.

The unfinished cathedral next to the Plaza de la Universidad.

Early Plans and Construction

The cathedral started as an older church from the late 1400s. Valladolid was not a city with its own bishop at first. So, it did not have a cathedral.

But in the 1500s, Valladolid became a bishopric. This meant it would have a bishop. The city decided to build a large, modern cathedral. It would be in the Renaissance style. This new church would show off the city's important new status.

Changes and Delays

The planned cathedral was going to be huge. When building started, Valladolid was like the capital of Spain. King Philip II and his court lived there.

However, the capital later moved to Madrid in the 1560s. Because of this, the money for building the cathedral was greatly reduced. The cathedral was never finished exactly as Juan de Herrera designed it. It was changed more in the 1600s and 1700s. For example, Churriguera added a part to the top of the main front.

About the Cathedral's Design

This building was named a "Cultural Interest" site in 1931. It is dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. Juan de Herrera designed it, but his students mostly built it. This happened in the first half of the 1600s. Diego de Praves was the main builder. His son took over after him.

Original Design and What Was Built

The original plan was a large rectangle. It would have two towers at the front corners. Two more towers would be at the back, ending in pyramids. The church was meant to have three long sections called aisles. It would also have a cross-shaped part in the middle called a transept. This transept would have two big doors at its ends.

The main chapel and the choir (where singers sit) were planned to be in the same area. This way, people praying could see them easily. This also allowed parades to walk around the back. Small chapels were also planned along the sides of the building. But only about half of the church was ever built. Today, the building stops at the transept. Only one tower stands, and it is not like Herrera's original plan.

Main Front and Tower

The bottom part of the main front looks like a triumphal arch. It uses a simple style called Doric order. There was a mistake in building, so the arch at the entrance is a bit pointed.

In the 1700s, Alberto Churriguera built the second part of the front. He tried to make it look like the church of El Escorial. On top of the railing are statues of important saints. These include St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Gregory, and St. Jerome.

The tower on the side of the vestry (where priests prepare) was built next. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1753 and fell down in 1841. It was rebuilt next to the vestry. A statue of the Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart) is on top of it.

Inside the Cathedral

Today, the cathedral has a huge collection of music. It holds 6000 musical works. There is also a large altarpiece from the 1500s by Juan de Juni. This altarpiece was moved from another church in Valladolid. An altarpiece by El Greco that was once here has been moved to a different place.

There are four chapels on each side of the church.

The first chapel has a Neoclassical painting of Cain and Abel.
The second chapel was a gift from Juan Velerde.
The third chapel has two large paintings from the late 1600s. These were made by a student of Lucas Jordan.
The next chapel is for San Fernando. The tomb of Count Ansúrez is nearby. His statue is from the 1500s.

Main Chapel and Choir

The main chapel has the altarpiece made by Juan de Juni. It was moved to its current spot in 1922. The choir stalls (seats for the choir) were built in 1617. They were made by Francisco Velázquez and Melchor de Beya. They came from a convent in Valladolid.

On the other side of the church, the third chapel has an 18th-century Baroque altarpiece. It also has statues and tomb carvings of the Venero family. These were made by a student of Pompeo Leoni. The second chapel has a Baroque altarpiece. It includes a sculpture of San Pedro by Pedro de Ávila and a screen from the 1500s.

The Organ

The large pipe organ is above the main door. Aquilino Amezua built it in 1904. His former partner, L. Galdós, made it bigger in 1933. They used an older organ's case from 1794. This organ has a romantic style. It has three keyboards and pedals, with 36 different sounds. There is also a modern electronic organ.

Vestry Art

In the vestry, you can see several paintings. One is an "Assumption" from the early 1600s by Diego Valentín Díaz. Another is "San Jerónimo y San Jenaro" by Lucas Jordan.