Murcia Cathedral
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2022) ) |
Cathedral Church of Saint Mary | |
---|---|
Santa Iglesia Catedral de Santa María | |
Roman Catholic Church | |
Province | Diocese of Cartagena |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
Location | |
Location | Murcia, Spain |
Geographic coordinates | 37°59′02″N 1°07′42″W / 37.9838°N 1.1283°W |
Architecture | |
Type | Church |
Style | Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque |
Groundbreaking | 1394 |
Completed | 1465 |
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia (Spanish: Iglesia Catedral de Santa María en Murcia), commonly called the Cathedral of Murcia, is a
History
The Christian king
The interior is largely
The heart and the entrails of King
In 1854 the cathedral suffered a terrible fire that destroyed the high altar and the choir stalls. The repair works consisted in the creation of a new neo-Gothic altarpiece (work of the sculptors Pescador and Palao), and the commission of a majestic organ, undertaken by the Belgian firm Merklin-Schütze. Under the organ 16th-century plateresque chairs from the Monastery of Santa Maria de Valdeiglesias were installed, a donation made by Queen Isabel II to the cathedral.
Bell tower
The bell tower, built between 1521 and 1791, stands 90 metres (300 ft) tall—95 metres (312 ft) with the weathervane. It is the tallest campanile in Spain. It ascends in five levels of different widths. The tower also combines a variety of styles.
- The first level, made by Francisco and Jacobo Florentino, has a square plant with Renaissance style and ornamentation influenced by the Hispanic Plateresque.
- The second body, made by Jerónimo Quijano, has the same style but it is more purist.
- The third floor, with Baroque style, has the body with Rococó style and the cupola, drawn up by Ventura Rodríguez, with Neoclassic style.
- In the fourth floor, there are four Lignum Crucis.
Bells
There are twenty-five bells, all from the 17th century and the 18th century. Each has its own name. Among them are:
- The Bell of the Spells
- La Catalana
- The Bell of Prayer
- La Fuensanta
- The Conception
- La Segundilla
- The greater or Agueda-Martillo, which is the main bell
The bells have served to warn the population about the catastrophic floods of the
Interior
The interior is mainly
. The chapels are dedicated to the patron saints of the labour unions and to the burials of the bishops and nobles that helped or collaborated with the construction of the cathedral. Some of the chapels include:- The Chapel of the Apse or the Vélez Chapel: it has Flaming Gothic style, with a cupola of stars with ten points.
- The Chapel of Junterones: it is one of the great works of the Spanish Renaissance.
- The Chapel of the Immaculate: it is Baroque in style.
The Plateresque chairs of the choir, post-choir, and the portal of the sacristy, are also of note.
Exterior
- Door of the Apostoles: Constructed in 1488 by Isabel the Catholic.
- Chapel of the Marquess of Vélez: Its plan is polygonal and adorned with the shields of the Chacones and the Fajardos.
- Door of the Chains: Made of two bodies (the inferior from the 16th century and the superior from the 18th century), with reliefs of the brothers San Leandro, San Isidoro, and San Fulgencio.
- Main Facade: It has Baroque style. The main facade has an exceptional beauty and it is unique. It was built under the initiative of the Cabildo, with the help of Cardinal Belluga, and it was made by Jaime Bort.
- Exaltation of the Virgin Mary
See also
External links
- Merklin & Schütze pipe organ
- Interactive Tour
- The Cathedral and a Picture Gallery from the Murcia City Official Tourism Site.
- Photos
- (in Spanish) Diocese of Cartagena