Calahorra Cathedral

Catholic church in Calahorra, Spain

Church in Calahorra, Spain

36°31′45″N 6°17′43″W / 36.529135°N 6.295254°W / 36.529135; -6.295254LocationCalahorraAddress69, Calle de la MediavillaCountrySpainDenominationCatholicWebsitecatedralcalahorra.comHistoryStatusCathedralDedicationMary, mother of JesusArchitectureStyleGothic, BaroqueGroundbreaking1484AdministrationMetropolisPamplona and TudelaDioceseCalahorra and La Calzada-LogroñoClergyBishop(s)Santos Montoya Torres

Spanish Cultural Heritage

TypeNon-movableCriteriaMonumentDesignated3 June 1931Reference no.RI-51-0000700

The Cathedral of Santa María (Spanish: Catedral de Santa María) is a cathedral located in Calahorra (in La Rioja, Spain). It is one of the cathedrals belonging to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño.

The building was given a heritage listing in 1931, and is currently protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural.^[1]

History

According to the Roman Christian poet Prudentius, San Emeterio and San Celedonio, two Roman brothers and legionaries who converted to Christianity, were beheaded in Calahorra around the year 300.^[2] Local legend states that the cathedral was built on the spot where the two were killed.^[3] They are now venerated as patron saints of the city and their relics are still kept inside the cathedral.^[3]

The site of the martyrdom become a place of pilgrimage in the 4th century, which led to the construction of a Visigoth baptistery, later destroyed during the Arab conquest.^[4] Following the city's return to Christian rule during Reconquista, the episcopal see was restored in 1045.^[5]

Construction of the current building began in 1484^[6] in the Gothic style, but gained several other influences over the next centuries, the facade and interior decorations being examples of Baroque.^[7] The main work on the cathedral was done by the 18th Century, with the last element added being the retable of the main altar, in 1904,^[8] after the original one was destroyed during a fire in 1900.^[9]

References

^ "Decreto del Ministerio de Instrucción Pública y Bellas Artes" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid. 4 June 1931. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
^ Giles, Ryan D. (2009-10-31). The Laughter of the Saints: Parodies of Holiness in Late Medieval and Renaissance Spain. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442697096.
^ ^a ^b "Diocese of Calahorra and La Calzada - Encyclopedia Volume - Catholic Encyclopedia - Catholic Online". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
^ "Calahorra Cathedral". VinoTurismoRioja. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
^ Carl, Carolina (2011-08-25). A Bishopric Between Three Kingdoms: Calahorra, 1045-1190. Leiden, The Netherlands: BRILL. p. 23. ISBN 978-9004180123.
^ "Catedral de Calahorra / Historia / Breve referencia historica". www.catedralcalahorra.org. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
^ TURESPAÑA (2007-04-23). "Calahorra cathedral in Calahorra | spain.info in english". Spain.info. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
^ "Calahorra". www.redjuderias.org. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
^ Martínez, José Luis Cinca (2004). "El incendio de la Catedral de Calahorra: 13 de junio de 1900". Kalakorikos: Revista para el estudio, defensa, protección y divulgación del patrimonio histórico, artístico y cultural de Calahorra y su entorno (in Spanish) (9). ISSN 1137-0572.