Christianity arrived in the Iberian peninsula in Roman times, and some of the earliest cathedrals were built during the Visigothic Kingdom. Very few remains survive to this day, mostly as foundations of current cathedrals, as is the case with the ones in Barcelona and Palencia.[3] Following the gradual Reconquista from the Islamic Al-Andalus, new cathedrals were erected on the site of mosques, in the Romanesque style: Santiago de Compostela, Zamora and the Old Cathedral of Salamanca are some of the best examples from this period. The mudéjar style emerged in Castile, a mixture of the Islamic and Christian architectonic traditions that also reached Aragón and whose most celebrated example would be the Teruel Cathedral. At the same time, Gothic architecture arrived from France through the Way of Saint James and influenced many of the massive cathedrals found in the north, like Burgos and León, and was quickly adopted for those further south, as new territories were retaken, like the Toledo and Seville cathedrals, the latter being the largest Gothic church in the world.[4] A local Gothic style survived longer than in other countries, with Segovia and the New Cathedral of Salamanca being built well into the 16th century. Renaissance ideas were seen as foreign and old, but were ultimately used for, among others, the Granada Cathedral, the site of the last Islamic stronghold. By the 17th century, wealth from the Americas financed ornate Baroque architecture such as a new façade for Santiago de Compostela or the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza. In post-Gothic styles, Spanish cathedrals departed from the usual Latin-cross shape and developed more open designs. A handful of Spanish cathedrals contain details of modern architecture: the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid was not finished until 1993 and is an eclectic mixture of different reinterpretations of historical styles.[5]
Name | Location | Autonomous Community | Diocese | Dedication | Notes | Images |
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Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist | Albacete | | Albacete | 1955[8] | | |
Cathedral of the Saviour | Albarracín | | Teruel and Albarracín | 1600 | | |
Magistral Cathedral of Saint Justus and Saint Pastor | Alcalá de Henares | | Alcalá de Henares | 1991[9] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, as part of the site University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares.[10] Only church together with Saint Peter's of Leuven to have the rank of Magistral, as their canons are required to be doctors in Theology.[11] | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Bari | Alicante | | Orihuela-Alicante | 1959[12] | | |
Cathedral of the Incarnation | Almería | | Almería | 1551[13] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Astorga | | Astorga | 1069[14] | | |
Cathedral of the Saviour | Ávila | | Ávila | | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 as part of the site Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches.[15] | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist | Badajoz | | Mérida-Badajoz | 1276[16] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption | Barbastro | | Barbastro-Monzón | 1571[17] | | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia | Barcelona | | Barcelona | 1058 | | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint James | Bilbao | | Bilbao | 1955[18] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, as part of the site Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain.[19] | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Burgos | | Burgos | 1260[20] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984,[21] Spain's first declared WHS.[22] | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary | Cáceres | | Coria-Cáceres | 1957[23] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, as part of the site Old Town of Cáceres.[24] | |
Cathedral of the Holy Cross over the Waters | Cádiz | | Cádiz and Ceuta | 1838[25] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Calahorra | | Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño | | | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary | Castellón de la Plana | | Segorbe-Castellón | 1961[26] | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption | Ceuta | | Cádiz and Ceuta | 1726[27] | | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary of the Prado | Ciudad Real | | Ciudad Real | 1981[28] | Since 1875 it holds the title of priory of the military orders of Santiago, Alcántara, Calatrava and Montesa.[29] | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Ciudad Rodrigo | | Ciudad Rodrigo | 1160 | | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Ciutadella | | Menorca | 1795[30] | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption of our Lady | Córdoba | | Córdoba | 1236[31] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984, and extended in 1994 to create the site Historic Centre of Cordoba.[32] Better known as the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.[33] | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption | Coria | | Coria-Cáceres | 1898[34] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Julian | Cuenca | | Cuenca | 1196[35] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 as part of the site Historic Walled Town of Cuenca. It is considered the first gothic cathedral in Spain.[36] | |
Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary | El Burgo de Osma | | Osma-Soria | 1272[37] | | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Julian | Ferrol | | Mondoñedo-Ferrol | 1959[38] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene | Getafe | | Getafe | 1995[39] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Girona | | Girona | 1038[40] | Widest gothic nave in the world at 23 m. | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Incarnation | Granada | | Granada | 1946 | Burial place of the Catholic Monarchs. | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary the Major | Guadalajara | | Sigüenza-Guadalajara | 1959[41] | | |
Cathedral of the Incarnation | Guadix | | Guadix | | Guadix is traditionally considered the oldest episcopal see in Spain, founded by Saint Torquatus in the 1st century AD.[42] | |
Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy | Huelva | | Huelva | 1954[43] | | |
Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord | Huesca | | Huesca | 1098[44] | | |
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Snows | Ibiza | | Ibiza | 1782[45] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 as part of the site Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture.[46] | |
Cathedral of Saint Peter | Jaca | | Jaca | 1063[47] | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption | Jaen | | Jaén | 1660[48] | | |
Cathedral of the Holy Saviour | Jerez de la Frontera | | Asidonia-Jerez | 1980[49] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | La Seu d'Urgell | | Urgell | 1040 | The town itself incorporated the cathedral to its name, being seo an alternate Latin name for cathedral church. Its bishop is one of the co-Princes of Andorra, ruling since 988.[50] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Anne | Las Palmas | | Canarias | 1871[51] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | León | | León | 1303[52] | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption | Lleida | | Lleida | 1781[53] | Commonly known as the New Cathedral of Lleida. | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary of La Redonda | Logroño | | Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño | 1959[54] | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption of Saint Mary | Lugo | | Lugo | 1273 | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, as part of the site Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain. | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary the Royal of La Almudena | Madrid | | Madrid | 1993[55] | Only catedral in Spain and first one outside Rome to be consecrated by a pope.[56] | |
Cathedral of the Armed Forces | Madrid | | Military Archbishopric of Spain | 1985[57] | | |
Cathedral Basilica of the Incarnation | Málaga | | Málaga | 1588[58] | | |
Metropolitan Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary the Major | Mérida | | Mérida-Badajoz | 2006 | | |
Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption | Mondoñedo | | Mondoñedo-Ferrol | 1246[59] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, as part of the site Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain. | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Romeral | Monzón | | Barbastro-Monzón | 1998[60] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Murcia | | Cartagena | 1467[61] | | |
Cathedral of the Saviour and Saint Mary | Orihuela | | Orihuela-Alicante | 1510[62] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Martin | Ourense | | Ourense | 1188[63] | | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour | Oviedo | | Oviedo | 821[64] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, as part of the site Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain. Its Cámara Santa (Holy Chamber) was previously designated in 1998, as part of site Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias.[65] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Antoninus | Palencia | | Palencia | 1897 | Third largest in total area in Spain.[66] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Palma | | Majorca | 1346 | Its gothic rose window is the largest in the world, at 13 m.[67] | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption | Pamplona | | Pamplona and Tudela | 1127 | | |
Cathedral of the Assumption of our Lady | Plasencia | | Plasencia | 1578[68] | A complex of two cathedrals, an old and a new one, both unfinished and adjacent to each other.[69] | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See | Salamanca | | Salamanca | | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 as part of the site Old City of Salamanca.[70] Better known as the Old Cathedral. | |
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin | Salamanca | | Salamanca | 1733[71] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 as part of the site Old City of Salamanca. Better known as the New Cathedral. | |
Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Remedios | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | 1819[72] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 as part of the site San Cristóbal de La Laguna.[73] | |
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd | San Sebastian | | San Sebastian | 1953[74] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Lawrence | Sant Feliu de Llobregat | | Sant Feliu de Llobregat | 2004[75] | | |
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption | Santander | | Santander | 1754[76] | | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint James the Apostle | Santiago de Compostela | | Santiago de Compostela | 1211[77] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, as part of the site Santiago de Compostela (Old Town).[78] Traditionally regarded as the burial place of the apostle James the Great, and the subject of pilgrimage for centuries. Depicted on Spanish 1, 2 and 5 Euro cent coins.[79] | |
Cathedral of the Saviour and Saint Mary | Santo Domingo de la Calzada | | Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño | 1232[80] | | |
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady | Segorbe | | Segorbe-Castellón | 1534[81] | The interior was fully renovated between 1791 and 1795, becoming the only cathedral in the Academic style in Spain.[82] | |
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus | Segovia | | Segovia | 1768[83] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 as part of the site Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct.[84] | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See | Seville | | Seville | 1507[85] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, as part of the site Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville.[86] Largest gothic cathedral in the world.[87] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Sigüenza | | Sigüenza-Guadalajara | 1169[88] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Solsona | | Solsona | 1593[89] | | |
Co-Cathedral of Saint Peter | Soria | | Osma-Soria | 1959[90] | Stills keep the older, Romanesque, cloister from the 12th century from a previous church that fell down around 1543. It was replaced with the current, Gothic building.[91] | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of La Huerta | Tarazona | | Tarazona | 1235[92] | Reopened in 2011 after a 30-year renovation that rediscovered a set of al fresco paintings from the 1540s showing nude mythological creatures, a unique feature for a cathedral in Europe.[93] | |
Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint Thecla | Tarragona | | Tarragona | 1331[94] | | |
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit | Terrassa | | Terrassa | 2004[95] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of Mediavilla | Teruel | | Teruel and Albarracín | 1587[96] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 as part of the site Mudéjar architecture of Aragon. | |
Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption | Toledo | | Toledo | 1493[97] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 as part of the site Historic City of Toledo.[98] Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by Urban II, establishing a higher rank over the rest in the Iberian Peninsula.[99] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Tortosa | | Tortosa | 1441[100] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary the Major | Tudela | | Pamplona and Tudela | 1782[101] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption | Tui | | Tui-Vigo | 1225[102] | | |
Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of our Lady | Valencia | | Valencia | 1238[103] | Claims to house the Holy Grail since 1437.[104] | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption | Valladolid | | Valladolid | 1668[105] | Originally projected to be the largest cathedral in Christendom, it was left unfinished when less than half of the building was built.[106] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter | Vic | | Vic | 1803[107] | | |
Co-Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mary | Vigo | | Tui-Vigo | 1959[108] | | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Vitoria-Gasteiz | | Vitoria | 1863[109] | UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain. Commonly known as the "Old cathedral". | |
Cathedral of Mary Immaculate | Vitoria-Gasteiz | | Vitoria | 1969[110] | Commonly known as the "New cathedral". Second largest cathedral in Spain, by area, after Seville. | |
Cathedral of the Saviour | Zamora | | Zamora | 1174[111] | | |
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Saviour | Zaragoza | | Zaragoza | 1318[112] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001 as part of the extension of the site Mudéjar architecture of Aragon.[113] | |
Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar | Zaragoza | | Zaragoza | 1676[114] | With an estimated 5 million visitors in 2015, it's one of the most visited monuments in Spain.[115] | |
|
This list includes notable historical buildings that held the see of the bishop until it was moved, merged or suppressed. Buildings that once have held the see of current titular sees are not included.
Name | Location | Autonomous Community | Diocese | Dedication | Notes | Images |
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Cathedral of the Nativity of our Lady | Baeza | | Jaén | 1227[116] | UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003, as part of the site Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza.[117] Was the seat of the cathedra between 1227 and 1249, when it was moved to Jaén. | |
Church of the Assumption of Our Lady | Baza | | Guadix | | Held the rank of Co-Cathedral until the Concordat of 1851.[118] | |
Church of the Holy Cross | Cádiz | | Cádiz and Ceuta | 1602[119] | Also known as the Old Cathedral of Cádiz. Seat of the diocese between 1602 and 1838. | |
Cathedral of Saint Mary | Cartagena | | Cartagena | 1250[120] | Held the seat of the diocese until 1289, when it was moved to Murcia.[121] Heavily bombed during the Spanish Civil War, it lays in ruins since 1936.[122] In 1988, a Roman theatre was discovered under it.[123] | |
Old Cathedral of Lleida | Lleida | | Lleida | 1278[124] | In 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession, king Philip V of Spain took the city and later ordered the destruction of the cathedral. The order never took place, but the cathedral was transformed into barracks and it never had a religious use since then.[125] | |
Collegiate of Saint Isidore the Royal | Madrid | | Madrid | 1885 | Pro-cathedral of Madrid between 1885, date of creation of the diocese, and 1993.[126] | |
Cathedral of Saint Vincent Martyr | Roda de Isábena | | Barbastro-Monzón | 1030[127] | Held the seat until 1149, when it moved to the recently conquered Lleida. Regarded as the oldest Cathedral in Aragón.[128] The town, with approximately 60 inhabitants in 2016, is the smallest one in Spain to have a cathedral building.[129] | | |