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Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria

Coordinates: 42°51′02″N 2°40′21″W / 42.850689°N 2.672431°W / 42.850689; -2.672431
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Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria
  • Catedral de Santa María (Spanish)
    Santa Maria katedrala (Basque)
View from the Plaza de Santa María
Map
42°51′02″N 2°40′21″W / 42.850689°N 2.672431°W / 42.850689; -2.672431
LocationVitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Basque Country
CountrySpain
DenominationCatholic Church
TraditionLatin Church
History
StatusCathedral, minor basilica[1]
Architecture
StyleGothic
Administration
ArchdioceseArchidiocese of Burgos
DioceseDiocese of Vitoria
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv, vi
Designated2015
Part ofRoutes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain
Reference no.669bis-018
RegionEurope and North America
Official nameIglesia Catedral de Santa María
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated1931
Reference no.RI-51-0000359

The Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria (Basque: Santa Maria katedrala, Spanish: Catedral de Santa María) is a Gothic-style, Roman Catholic cathedral located in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque country, Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1931[2] and a World Heritage Site (as part of the Camino de Santiago) in 2015.

History

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Main nave and altar in 2021, after extensive restoration works

Construction of the cathedral of Santa María in Gothic-style began in the late 13th century and continued throughout the 14th century. It was conceived as a fortress church, with great volume and enclosed appearance, being part of the city's defences.

Between 1496 and 1861, the building operated as a collegiate church, and it was that year when it was declared a cathedral. It has a Latin-cross plan, with a wide transept crossing and circular apse containing several chapels.

The facade's portals are richly decorated with sculpture. The western portico is masterwork consisting of three portals: the central one consecrated to the Virgin, the left one dedicated to San Gil and the right one to the Final Judgement and Saint James.

The cathedral closed down to the public in 1994 after a partial collapse of a vault and major structural damages were found. It is being restored since then within the project of the Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation, which manages guided tours and is in charge of restoration works.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Basilicas in Spain, Andorra". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Iglesia Catedral de Santa María". Consulta a la base de datos de bienes inmuebles (in Spanish). Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  3. ^ Dos Santos, Jon (1 October 2024). "¿Quién inventó el 'Abierto por obras'?: Se cumplen 30 años del cierre de la catedral Santa María de Vitoria" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
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