La Girona Cathedral or Cathedral of Santa María de Gerona It is the most touristic point of the city, especially since its appearances in a fashion series. But this cathedral has a great history and many architectural and art elements that are worth admiring carefully.
Si vas a visiting Girona you will not be able to miss its beautiful cathedral with those impressive access stairs. It is located in a strategic area, at the highest point of the old city, a place where it stands out above each house. With this reference it is almost impossible that we do not see it and come to it to visit it.
History of the Girona Cathedral
Girona was the seat of the bishopric since the beginning of Christianity in this place, so it is a religious point that always had relevance. Apparently the works to improve the state of the dilapidated church started around the year 1015 or even earlier. This first stage of construction used the prevailing Romanesque style, of which there are still some parts that can be seen in the current cathedral, such as its well-known cloister. It is a cathedral to which various extensions and changes were added over the centuries, hence it has different styles. The façade and the stairs are from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries in Baroque style. On the façade there are even some sculptures dating from the XNUMXth century.
Main facade
One of the most photographed places in this cathedral is undoubtedly its facade. The view is imposing a lot because it is located in a high area. The beautiful ninety-step staircase with six side terraces It dates from the 67th century and is the perfect setting to present the beautiful cathedral. The façade has a Baroque style and has the symmetrical shape of an altarpiece from which it is inspired. It has several columns and pediments in which you can see various figures such as Saint Paul, the Virgin Mary or Saint Joseph. From this point we can also see the XNUMX meter high tower, which gives the façade an asymmetrical appearance.
Interior of the cathedral
The interior of the cathedral is very worthwhile, as it is the cathedral with the widest gothic nave in the world, which also has a rich decoration. Upon entering the main nave we find ourselves in front of a grandiose Gothic nave covered by a vault. In the first section there are buttresses with two chapels per section and in the second part there are large Gothic windows. Throughout the time we will be accompanied by the feeling of grandeur of this cathedral. We can see the choir with a XNUMXth century stalls and the presbytery area with the main chapel with a XNUMXth century altarpiece covered in silver. The altar of the chapel is a Romanesque piece from the early days of the cathedral.
The stained glass windows are another point that must be highlighted in this cathedral. There are many stained glass windows and they were certainly incorporated at different times.. Some even date from the XNUMXth century. During the XNUMXth century those that existed were destroyed and the reason is still unknown, but they underwent a process of reconstruction later. In this cathedral we can also appreciate the funerary art, since it has quite a lot of tombs, among them those of Bishop Bernardo de Pau or that of the Count of Barcelona Ramón Berenguer II.
Girona Cathedral cloister
The cloister is one of the few parts of the cathedral that remain from its first constructions. East Romanesque style cloister was created by sculptor Arnau Cadell during the 122th century. The sculptures have XNUMX capitals in which you can see carved figures and decorated friezes. Among the scenes that can be seen there are passages from the Old and New Testaments with animals and human beings as protagonists. In the center of the cloister we can also see a garden with a well.
Cathedral museum
In this museum we find authentic jewels of great importance. The Tapestry of Creation is a very outstanding piece whose origin is unknown. It is believed that it can date from the XNUMXth century and measures twelve square meters in which the myth of Creation is related with drawings and figures. In this museum we can also see the Gothic sculpture of Saint Charlemagne, as well as crosses or reliquaries. The Beatus of Gerona is another of his works, a XNUMXth century copy made by the Beatus of Liébana.
Girona Cathedral is famous
One of the curiosities of this cathedral is that its beauty has made it appear in some fashion productions. The most prominent is undoubtedly Game of Thrones. This location was used to represent the septum of Baelor, so it is very recognizable in the series, where we can see the facade and the entrance stairs.