View from the Cathedral’s Belltower
Valencia is a beautiful city with beach, great food and amazing monuments, in this post we will talk about the Cathedral, but there is so much more that you can visit.
The Valencia Cathedral has been several other temples before this one: it has been a Roman Temple dedicated to Diana, a Visigothic Basilica and even an Islamic Mosque.
👉Do you know what a Cathedral is?
Chronology of its construction
It was completed in 1426 after 163 years of construction, so it has very varied architectural styles:
- In the 13th century, the Romanesque, Latin cross temple had the dome, the Almoina gate and the first bell tower.
- In the 14th century, the current dome, the door of the apostles and the Miguelete, and also the chapel of the Holy Chalice, originally the chapterhouse, are made.
- In the 15th century, a body was added to the dome and the chapterhouse and the Miguelete Tower were joined with the Cathedral, which were previously separated.
- In the 16th century, from the Baroque, is the Hierros Gate and the ornamentation of the presbytery.
- The neoclassical period transformed the appearance of the interior, which was partly removed in the 1960s.
Parts of the Cathedral
Almoina Gate
So called because in times of the mosque, almsgiving was given here. It is late Romanesque, subject to Mudejar influences. In the cornice there are seven pairs that could correspond to the repopulators after the reconquest. In the capitals there are 24 sacred scenes.
Almoina Gate
Apostols Gate
In the Plaza de la Virgen, it has 12 apostles and the Saints Sixto, San Lorenzo, San Valero and San Vicente. The ornamentation is complemented by angels, prophets and Saints, as well as the Virgin and her son. The Gothic rosette shows a Star of David in tracery.
Hierros Gate
Build in the first half of the 18th century, completed by Francisco Vergara, it was part of a narrow street that does not exist today.
It looks like an altarpiece, in the Baroque style, and it shows:
- Santo Tomás de Villanueva in the first body, giving alms; on the right, Saint Pedro Pascual, with a book in hand.
- The Rococo style highlights the sculptural group of the Adoration of the Name of Mary.
- In the second body there are alegorices of the Valencian Popes (Calixto III and Alejando VI) and the Virtues.
- In the last body the Assumption of the Virgin is represented.
Main Chapel
The presbytery has a group of 16th century paintings representing scenes from the life of the Virgin. A ornate baroque ornamentation complements the rest of the Presbytery, which hides the original Gothic chapel. In the vault is a set of Renaissance paintings of musical angels.
The Chapel of the Holy Chalice
It was the old Chapter House and originally away from the temple. It was joined to the rest of the cathedral in the 15th century, by the architect Pere Compte. It is covered with starred ribs with polychrome corbels.
San Vicente Ferrer taught from the pulpit that is still preserved.
The Chalice is from the 1st century B.C. and according to tradition it was the one used by Jesus during the Last Supper.
