Salamanca Cathedral | Salamanca

Information

Landmark: Salamanca Cathedral
City: Salamanca
Country: Spain
Continent: Europe

Salamanca Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain, Europe

Salamanca Cathedral is a unique complex consisting of two joined cathedrals: the Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja) and the New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva).

Visual Characteristics

Architectural Hybrid: The complex displays a transition from Romanesque and Gothic to Baroque and Plateresque styles.

Material: Built with the region's signature golden Villamayor sandstone.

Scale: The New Cathedral is one of the largest in Spain, featuring a massive central dome and a 92-meter-tall bell tower.

Location & Access

Address: C. Cardenal Pla y Deniel, 37008 Salamanca.

Access: Paid admission for the interior; includes access to both cathedrals and the cloister.

Ieronimus Tower: A separate ticket allows visitors to climb the medieval towers and walk along the interior and exterior galleries for city views.

Key Highlights

The Astronaut: On the New Cathedral’s north portal (Puerta de Ramos), a modern carving of an astronaut exists alongside a dragon eating ice cream. These were added during a 1992 restoration as a contemporary signature by the masons.

Old Cathedral (12th-13th Century): Features the Torre del Gallo (Cock Tower), a Byzantine-influenced dome, and an altar with 53 paintings by Nicolás Florentino.

New Cathedral (16th-18th Century): Notable for its soaring late-Gothic vaults and the Baroque Choir designed by Alberto Churriguera.

Historical Context

The New Cathedral was commissioned in 1513 because the old one was considered too small. Construction lasted over two centuries, concluding in 1733. During the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, the structure suffered significant damage, which is still visible in the cracks and leaning of the bell tower.