Segovia Cathedral is the Gothic-style

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

cathedral located in the main square ( Plaza Mayor) of the city of

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is in the Inner Plateau ('' Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of t ...

, in the community of Castile-Leon, Spain. The church, dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, was built in the Flamboyant Gothic style in the mid-16th century.

History

The massive cathedral was built between 1525 and 1577 in a late Gothic style, outdated elsewhere in Europe. The previous cathedral of Segovia had stood adjacent to the Alcazar, and had been used by the royal armies in defending the latter against siege. The rebellious Comuneros were intent on taking the cathedral to protect its holy relics, and to use its position against the walls of the Alcazar in order to defeat its defenders. In a famous exchange, prominent city officials urged the comuneros to halt their attacks on the church, saying they should ''consider the injustice of razing so sumptuous a temple while making war against those who, serving their king, defended his Alcazar''. But their plea fell on deaf ears, and the comuneros replied: ''la Iglesia era de la Ciudad'' (the Church belonged to the City).Historia de la insigne ciudad de Segovia
Volumen 3. By Diego de Colmenares, page 60 After a bitter siege lasting months, the cathedral lay in ruins. View of the Segovian Cathedral

Due to fears of a repeat assault, the cathedral was relocated to the present site and built using a design by the Trasmeran mason named Juan Gil de Hontañón, and the work was continued by his son Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón. The building's structure features three tall vaults and an ambulatory, with fine tracery windows and numerous stained glass windows. The interior is characterized by unity of style (late Gothic), except for the dome, built around 1630 by Pedro de Brizuela. The Gothic vaults are 33 meters high by 50 meters wide and 105 long. The bell tower reaches almost 90 meters. The current stone spire crowning the tower, dating from 1614, was erected after a major fire caused by a thunderstorm. The original spire, entirely Gothic, was built of American mahogany, had a pyramidal structure, and was the tallest tower in Spain. Among the most prominent chapels are that of the Santísimo Sacramento, with a Reredo by José de Churriguera, the Chapel of San Andrés, with a Triptych of the Deposition by Ambrosius Benson, the Chapel of Piety with the ''Entombment'' by

Juan de Juni Juan de Juni (Fr. Jean de Joigny; c. 1507–1577) was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect. Career Juan de Juni was born in Joigny, France, but began working in Italy, where he was first employed. In 1533 ...

; and the chapel of the Deposition with the recumbent Christ by

Gregorio Fernández Gregorio Fernández (April 1576 – 22 January 1636) was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Pompeyo Leoni, and Juan de Ar ...

The ''retablo mayor'', or main reredos, of the cathedral was carved by Francisco Sabatini, and is dedicated to the Virgin of the Peace. It is adorned with the Segovian Saints Frutos, Geroteo, Valentín and Engracia. The choir has gothic seating. The cathedral museum has works by

Pedro Berruguete Pedro Berruguete (c. 1450 – 1504) was a Spanish painter whose art is regarded as a transitional style between gothic and Renaissance art. Berruguete most famously created paintings of the first few years of the Inquisition and of religious i ...

, Sánchez Coello and Van Orley, and the cathedral archives have one of the first printed books published in Spain: the ''Sinodal de Aguilafuente''.

North nave

*Capilla de San Andrés Apóstol *Capilla de San Cosme y San Damián *Capilla de San Gregorio *Capilla de la Concepción

South nave

*Capilla del Cristo Yacente (Reclining Christ) *Capilla de Santa Bárbara *Capilla de Santiago Apóstol *Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo

Burials

Crescentius of Rome Crescentius of Rome ( it, San Crescenzio di Roma) is venerated as a child martyr by the Roman Catholic Church. According to tradition, he was born of a noble Roman family and was baptized along with his parents by Epigmenius. During the persecut ...

* Saint Fructus (d. 715), and his siblings Saint Valentine (Valentín) and Saint Engratia (Engracia).

Notes

External links

*Officia
Website
{{Authority control Roman Catholic churches completed in 1577 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Gothic architecture in Castile and León Roman Catholic cathedrals in Castile and León

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...