Cathedral of Malaga
Encyclopedia
Cathedral of Málaga is Renaissance
church in Málaga
, Andalusia
, southern Spain. It is located inside the limits that the missing Arab wall marked, forming a great architectonic set with the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans by Diego de Siloe. The interior of the cathedral is also in Renaissance style.
.
The facade, on the contrary, is baroque style and it is divided in two floors, on the floor below there are three arcs and inside of them there are doors separated by marble columns. Over the door there are some medallions. Those of the laterals doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, St Ciriaco
and St. Paula, while the one in the center represents the announcement of God.
The north tower rises until the 84 metres of height and is the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia, behind the Giralda
of Seville
. The south tower is unfinished. Some claims such as a sign at the base of the tower state that funds were used to aid the British colonies
gain independence
from Great Britain
, while other investigations of registries deduce that the money may have been used in the preparation of the “Way of Antequera”. The fact is that this condition of being unfinished gives to the Cathedral the nickname of “La Manquita”, meaning in English
, "The One-Armed Lady".
Internally a series of artworks fills the temple, among them are the gothic altarpiece of the Chapel of Santa Barbara and the 16th century tombs of the Chapel of San Francisco. The Chapel of Incarnation shows a neoclassic altarpiece of 1785, work of Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela with sculptures of Salazar and Palomino, and The Beheading of Saint Paul painted by Enrique Simonet
in 1887 during his stay in Rome
.
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
church in Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, southern Spain. It is located inside the limits that the missing Arab wall marked, forming a great architectonic set with the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans by Diego de Siloe. The interior of the cathedral is also in Renaissance style.
Description
The cathedral, with a rectangular plan, is composed by a nave and two aisles, the former being wider, though having the same height of the aisles. The set of chairs in the choir is a work of Pedro de MenaPedro de Mena
Pedro de Mena or Pedro Mena y Medrano was a Spanish sculptor.-Biography:He was born at Granada, in Andalusia. He was a pupil of his father Alonso de Mena as well as of Alonzo Cano. His first conspicuous success was achieved in work for the convent of St...
.
The facade, on the contrary, is baroque style and it is divided in two floors, on the floor below there are three arcs and inside of them there are doors separated by marble columns. Over the door there are some medallions. Those of the laterals doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, St Ciriaco
Ciriaco
Ciriaco is a male given name in Italian and Spanish .It derives from the Greek given name Κυριακός which means of the Lord or lordly; from the Greek kύριος, kyrios: lord. Thus it is equivalent in meaning to the name Domenico...
and St. Paula, while the one in the center represents the announcement of God.
The north tower rises until the 84 metres of height and is the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia, behind the Giralda
Giralda
thumb|right|The Giralda at its various stages of construction: Almohad , Medieval Christian , and Renaissance .The Giralda is a former minaret that was converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville in Seville...
of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. The south tower is unfinished. Some claims such as a sign at the base of the tower state that funds were used to aid the British colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
gain independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, while other investigations of registries deduce that the money may have been used in the preparation of the “Way of Antequera”. The fact is that this condition of being unfinished gives to the Cathedral the nickname of “La Manquita”, meaning in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "The One-Armed Lady".
Internally a series of artworks fills the temple, among them are the gothic altarpiece of the Chapel of Santa Barbara and the 16th century tombs of the Chapel of San Francisco. The Chapel of Incarnation shows a neoclassic altarpiece of 1785, work of Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela with sculptures of Salazar and Palomino, and The Beheading of Saint Paul painted by Enrique Simonet
Enrique Simonet
Enrique Simonet Lombardo was a Spanish painter.Enrique Simonet was born in Valencia and first studied at the Saint Charles Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Valencia....
in 1887 during his stay in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Sources
- EISMAN, E. L.: "Traducción de una bula de la catedral de Málaga", Jábega, nº 41, Diputación Provincial de Málaga, 1983, pp. 17–21.
- GONZÁLEZ SÁNCHEZ, V.: 'Catálogo general de la documentación del Archivo Histórico de la Iglesia Catedral de Málaga. Málaga: Edinford, 1994.
- RIESCO TERRERO, Á.: "El Archivo Catedral de Málaga: hacia una nueva reorganización y catalogación de fondos", Baetica: Estudios de arte, geografía e historia, nº 9, Universidad de Málaga, 1985, pp. 269–286.
- RIESCO TERRERO, Á.: "Colaboración del Obispo y Cabildo Catedral de Málaga a la empresa real de selección y edición de obras de San Isidoro de Sevilla (Edic. Regia 1597-99) y al enriquecimiento de dos grandes centros documentales: El Archivo General de Simancas y a la Biblioteca de El Escorial", Baetica, nº 11, Universidad de Málaga, 1988, pp. 301–322.
- SÁNCHEZ MAIRENA, A.: "El Archivo de la Catedral de Málaga: su primera organización a partir del inventario de 1523", E-Spania: Revue électronique d'études hispaniques médiévales, ISSN 1951-6169, nº 4, 2007. http://e-spania.revues.org/index3243.html
- SÁNCHEZ MAIRENA, A.: "Notas sobre el Archivo de la Catedral de Málaga en el siglo XVI" en M.ª Val González de la Peña (ed.), Estudios en memoria del profesor Dr. Carlos Sáez: Homenaje. Madrid: Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, 2007; pp. 621–650.
- VEGA GARCÍA-FERRER, M.ª J.: "Los cantorales de gregoriano en la catedral de Málaga", F. J. Giménez Rodríguez et alii (coord.), El patrimonio musical de Andalucía y sus relaciones con el contexto ibérico. Granada: Universidad de Granada, 2008; pp. 111–126.