Girona's Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Girona, located in Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Its interior includes the widest Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
in the world, with a width of 22 metres (72.2 ft), and the second widest overall after that of St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
. Its construction was first started in the 11th century in Romanesque style
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, and later continued in the 13th century in Gothic style. Of the original Romanesque edifice only the 12th century cloister and the bell tower remain. The Cathedral was completed in the 18th century.
History
A primitive Christian church existed here before the Islamic conquest of Iberia, after which it was converted into a mosque in 717. The FranksFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
reconquered the city in 785 under Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, and the church was reconsecrated in 908.
Romanesque cathedral
In 1015 the church was in poor conditions, bishop Peter Roger, son of count Roger I of CarcassonneRoger I of Carcassonne
Roger I of Carcassonne , also known as Roger II of Cominges the Elder, was the count of Carcassonne, Couserans and Comminges.Associated to the government of Comminges in 957, he inherited the county of Couserans in 983 at the death of his father Aznar II. At around 1000 he inherited the county of...
, restored it with the money obtained by selling the church of St. Daniel
Monastery of Sant Daniel, Girona
The Monastery of San Daniel is a religious complex in Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain.It was founded in the early 11th century by will of countess Ermesinde of Carcassonne, who wanted to found a nunnery here. The church, based on that of the monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, with the...
to his brother-in-law, count Ramon Borrell
Ramon Borrell, Count of Barcelona
Raymond Borrel , was count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 992. Son of Borrell II of Barcelona and Letgarda de Rouergue. He was associated with his father from 988....
of Barcelona. The church and its cloister were built until 1064, in Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
style. The bell tower was completed in 1117.
Gothic cathedral
The complex was redesigned by Pere Sacoma in 1312. After a few years of dubitation, Guillem Bofill and Antoni Canet started the project in 1416. The new design consisted of a big GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, the widest Gothic nave in the world — 22.98 m — and the second widest nave of all styles after St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
in Rome. The elevation is 35 metres (114.8 ft).
Exterior
The church has a Baroque façade (begun in 1606, finished in 1961 in the upper part), preceded by a staircase completed in 1607. The sculptures decorating the three orders of the façade were executed by local sculptors in the 1960s. Other exterior features include the Gothic portal of St. Michael, in the northern side, and the southern portico of the Apostles, from the 14th century: it originally featured sculptures of the Twelve Apostles, executed by Antoni Claperós in the 1460 and now disappeared aside from two, depicting St. Peter and St. Paul, now in the church's capitular halls.The church has two bell towers. The oldest one, entitled to Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, is the surviving one of the two once featured by the first Romanesque church (the other disappeared in the 14th century). Begun in the early 11th century, it has a square plan with six levels separated by frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
s with Lombard band
Lombard band
A Lombard band is a decorative blind arcade, usually exterior, often used during the Romanesque and Gothic periods of architecture.Lombard bands are believed to have been first used during the First Romanesque Period of the early 11th Century. At that time, they were the most common architectural...
s, and with double mullioned windows. The new bell tower, begun in 1590 and completed (with a changed design) in the 18th century, has an octogonal plan. It houses six bells, the oldest one dating to 1574.
Interior
The interior's single nave is surmounted by cross vaults, supported by Gothic buttressButtress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. The side walls feature a triforium
Triforium
A triforium is a shallow arched gallery within the thickness of inner wall, which stands above the nave of a church or cathedral. It may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be located as a separate level below the clerestory. It may itself have an outer wall of glass rather than...
with stained glass ogival windows. The apse is separated by the nave by a large wall, characterized by a large central rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
(1705, dedicated to St. Michael Archangel) flanked by two smaller ones at the sides. The polygonal apse is in turn flanked by two short galleries, with ogival arches as entrances, which correspond to the original aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s of the Romanesque edifice and introduce to the ambulatory. The latter is divided by piers with trapezoidal vaults, aligned with the ray of the apse's trapezoidal vaults, and which form ten radial chapels.
The high altar, in white marble, dates to the 11th century. Other artworks include the Gothic sarcophagus of Berenguer d'Anglesola (died 1418), by Pere Oller
Pere Oller
Pere Oller was a Catalan Gothic sculptor.From 1395 to 1399 he served as an apprentice on the choir of Barcelona Cathedral. He then relocated to Gerona, where the keystone of a vault from the chapel of Pia Almoina is attributed to him, as well as the tomb of Bishop Berenguer de Anglesola in the...
, in the chapel of Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal
Isabella of Portugal was a Portuguese Princess and Holy Roman Empress, Duchess of Burgundy, and a Queen Regent/Consort of Spain. She was the daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon. By her marriage to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Isabella was also Holy Roman Empress and Queen...
, the Chapel of All Saints (1376)
Romanesque cloister
The Romanesque cloister is notable, featuring a series of columns with sculpted capitals: they depict fantastic figures and animals, and vegetable motifs. The frieze has instead scenes from the New Testament. Among the sculptors who worked at the cloister is Arnau CadellArnau Cadell
Arnau Cadell was a Catalan sculptor of the 12th-13th centuries. Together with his workshop, he was responsible of the capitals in the cloister of the monastery of Sant Cugat, begun in 1190, and the Cathedral of Girona....
, also author of the cloister of the Monastery of Sant Cugat
Monastery of Sant Cugat
The Monastery of Sant Cugat is a Benedictine abbey in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain. Founded in the 9th century, and built until the 14th century, it was the most important monastery in the county of Barcelona...
. Also in the cloister is the Chapel of Our Lady of Gràcia i de Bell-Ull, which was originally a gate to the cloister, renovated in the Gothic period; its tympanum has an image of the Virgin by Master Bartomeu (13th century). The cloister's galleries are home to numerous tombs of rich members of the monastery, dating to the 14th-18th centuries, one also by Master Bartomeu (1273).
Museum
The museum's main attraction is the Tapestry of CreationTapestry of Creation
The Tapestry of Creation or Girona Tapestry is a Romanesque panel of needlework from the 11th century, housed in the Museum of the Cathedral of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Measuring 3.65 x 4.70 meters, it originally served as baldachin for the Altar of the Holy Cross in the church's entrance...
, a 11th (or 12th) century textile considered amongst the masterwork of Romanesque tapestry. Other artworks include:
- the Pietà Retablo, by Jaume Cabrera
- a "Charlemagne" sculpture by Jaume CascallsJaume CascallsJaume Cascalls was a Catalan sculptor, born in Berga. He was a representant of the Catalan school of Gothic sculpture. He was married to the daughter of painter Ferrer Bassa, with whom he had a profitable work relationship....
(1345), believed to portray King Peter IV of AragonPeter IV of AragonPeter IV, , called el Cerimoniós or el del punyalet , was the King of Aragon, King of Sardinia and Corsica , King of Valencia , and Count of Barcelona Peter IV, (Balaguer, September 5, 1319 – Barcelona, January 6, 1387), called el Cerimoniós ("the Ceremonious") or el del punyalet ("the one... - the Girona Beatus, a 10th century illuminated manuscript
- the Chest of caliphCaliphate of CórdobaThe Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
al-Hakam IIAl-Hakam IIAl-Hakam II was the second Caliph of Cordoba, in Al-Andalus , and son of Abd-ar-rahman III . He ruled from 961 to 976....
(10th century), known to be a gift to his son Hisham IIHisham IIHisham II was the third Caliph of Cordoba, of the Umayyad dynasty. He ruled 976–1009, and 1010–1013 in the Al-Andalus .... - Retablo of St. Magdalene (16th century), by Pere Mates