The Collegiate Basilica of Santa Maria of Gandia, also known as "La Seu", is the principal church of the city of
Gandia
Gandia ( es, Gandía) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa del Azahar (or ''Costa dels Tarongers''), south of Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles can acce ...
, (
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
). Construction commenced in the 14th century.
The Collegiate Church of Santa María is a
Valencian Gothic
Valencian Gothic is an architectural style. It occurred under the Kingdom of Valencia between the 13th and 15th centuries, which places it at the end of the European Gothic period and at the beginning of the Renaissance. The term "Valencian G ...
construction, located in the centre Gandia. Construction began in the 14th century and finalised two centuries later. Thanks to
Pope Alexander VI
Pope Alexander VI ( it, Alessandro VI, va, Alexandre VI, es, Alejandro VI; born Rodrigo de Borja; ca-valencia, Roderic Llançol i de Borja ; es, Rodrigo Lanzol y de Borja, lang ; 1431 – 18 August 1503) was head of the Catholic Churc ...
, the temple was raised to the category of Collegiate. In the year 1931 was declared National Historic Monument.
The church consists only of one central nave with lateral chapels adjacent to the walls. Its austere architectural style was once supplemented with rich interior decorations of altarpieces, paintings and sculptures, which disappeared during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
.
The Seo of Gandia is in itself a small architectural jewel, where the Puerta Sur or the Puerta de Santa María and the Puerta de los Apóstoles are noteworthy, one of the first works of
Damián Forment
Damián is a Czech, Slovak and Spanish male given name, which is a form of the name Damian. Damian is derived from the Greek name Δαμιανος (Damianos), from the Greek word δαμαζω (damazo), meaning "to tame" or "to master".''Behind ...
, precursor of the Spanish Renaissance.
See also
*
Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba
The Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba (; es, San Jerónimo de Cotalba, "Saint Jerome of Cotalba") is a monastic building of Valencian Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles constructed between the 14th and 18t ...
*
Route of the Borgias
The Route of the Borgias is a cultural route, that includes sites associated with the Borja or ''Borgia'', located in their native Valencian Community, Spain. The marketing of the route was inaugurated in 2007.Source: ABCPaseo por la hist ...
*
Route of the Valencian classics
The Route of the Valencian classics, (in Valencian ''Ruta dels clàssics valencians'', in Spanish ''Ruta de los clásicos valencianos''), is a cultural route Source: Valencia Terra i Mar. Diputación de ValenciaLa Ruta dels Clàssics.. through ...
External links
Collegiate Basilica of Gandia{{in lang, es
Churches in the Valencian Community
Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Valencia
Route of the Borgias
Gandia