ESTHER'S FAVORITES - TODAY'S PICK:
CATHEDRAL OF SANTA TECLA
If you’re visiting Tarragona, there’s one place you simply can’t miss… the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Tecla.
Tarragona Cathedral is a jewel of Catalan heritage whose walls preserve a history that dates back more than 2,000 years.
HISTORY
Located on the highest point of the city of Tarragona, the Cathedral was built on the site where the Temple of Augustus used to stand, at the time of the Roman city of Tarraco.
These are the oldest remains that can be seen throughout the different parts of the Cathedral, which boasts more than 2,000 years of history, but visitors can also admire its Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque past.
CATHEDRAL'S HIGHLIGHTS
What makes its priceless artistic heritage? Well, every corner of this imposing basilica has a story to tell.
1.- Cathedra's Façade
The façade of the Cathedral was built in the mid-14th century, and it has three entrance doors.
The central one is framed by a superb Gothic portal with large sculptures representing apostles and prophets. A large rose window measuring eleven metres in diameter crowns the façade, the construction of which was abruptly interrupted in 1348 due to the Black Death.
Right side: Above the right-hand door is a Roman sarcophagus from the late 4th century. It shows important scenes from the life of Jesus, like healing the blind and paralysed, helping a Canaanite woman, meeting Zacchaeus, and entering Jerusalem.
Left side: Above the left-hand door, the decoration shows the Adoration of the Kings, the moment when the three wise men visit baby Jesus.
https://www.turismedetarragona.com/en/monument/the-chatedral-of-tarragona/
2. Inside the Cathedral
1. The Cathedral is built in the shape of a Latin cross. It has three long naves, each ending in a curved space, and a large crossing area in the middle with a dome on top.The main nave is very large: 104 meters long, 16 meters wide, and 26 meters tall.
2. The ceilings are made of stone arches. The roof is supported by big pillars with carved designs of plants, animals, and people.
3. Between the pillars of the side naves, 14 chapels were built from the 14th to 18th centuries. These, along with others in the crossing and side apses, show a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles—a great example of how the cathedral evolved over time.
3- The Organ and Choir Stalls
In the central nave of the Cathedral you can see the organ casing, designed in the form of a majestic retable standing 20 metres high and 9 metres wide.
The entire set of hangings is still preserved today, of which the two main ones are still in use and can be seen flanking the central section
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The inner hangings depict the Birth and Resurrection of Christ, while the outer ones form a large Annunciation, with the archangel Gabriel on one door and the Virgin Mary on the other.
The ensemble is the work of the painters Pere Serafí and Pietro Paolo da Montalbergo between 1563 and 1565.
4.- Chapel of the Holy Sacrament
The entrance to the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament is through a classical doorway with two granite columns from the 2nd century BCE, originally brought by Emperor Hadrian for the Temple of Augustus.
Inside, the chapel has a large stone ceiling that was once part of a 12th-century dining hall. In the late 1500s, Archbishop Antoni Agustí transformed it into his private funeral chapel.
The main altarpiece shows scenes from the Bible that relate to the Eucharist. It includes beautiful marble columns and statues of prophets.
5. The Cloister
The construction of the cloister began at the end of the 12th century and was completed at the beginning of the 13th century. It was a place for reading, strolling and meditation and was also used for processions and was the point where the main communal canonical areas converged: the dormitory, chapter house, refectory, libray.
