Catedral de Segovia

Discover

About Catedral de Segovia

The old cathedral of Segóvia stood next to the Alcázar and was destroyed in 1521 during the Revolt of the Comuneros. Charles I ordered a new one to be built on one of the highest points of the city. The first stone was laid on 8 June 1525, to a design by Juan Gil de Hontañón, and the work continued with his son Rodrigo and other masters until the end of the 17th century.

It is one of the latest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, constructed when the Renaissance was already dominant. Inside it has three naves, an ambulatory and 16th-century stained glass; the vaults reach 30 meters, and the building is 109 meters long. The crossing dome, from 1630, is by Pedro de Brizuela. The neoclassical high altar was designed by Francesco Sabatini and houses the Virgen de la Paz, an image from the 13th century.

To save costs, several elements from the old cathedral were reused: the entire cloister, by Juan Guas, was dismantled and reassembled next to the new temple, as was the choir stalls in flamboyant Gothic. The admission includes the cloister, the Chapter House, the chapels, the painting and tapestry rooms and the neighboring Palacio Episcopal.

The tower once had a wooden pinnacle that raised its height to 108 meters. A lightning bolt set it on fire on 18 September 1614, and the current stone top left the tower at about 88 meters. The climb is only possible on a guided tour, at fixed times. A few meters to the north is the Iglesia de San Esteban, from the 12th century, whose Romanesque tower of about 50 meters is among the tallest of that style in Spain.