Old Cathedral of Salamanca, Spain, 12th century

The Old and New Cathedrals of Salamanca are both located in Salamanca, Spain, across from Palacio de Anaya. Cathedral Vieja de Salamanca and Catedral Nueva de Salamanca as they are known as to the locals were built in different centuries although they are joined together present day. 1

The Old Cathedral is designed in the Romanesque style whereas the New Cathedral follows the Gothic and Baroque style. Founded by Bishop Jerome of Perigord, construction for the Old Cathedral began in the 12th century and it was completed in the 14th century. It is said that the church was dedicated to Santa Maria de la Sede. 2

Mural painting done by Nicolas Florentino

Inside the Old Cathedral can be found the San Martin or Oil Chapel. This was used to store the jars of oil that were used to fuel the lamps in the Cathedral. Also, as seen in plan, the walls of this space were very thick which leads to the assumption that during the Spanish Civil War, it was used as an air-raid shelter. The dome of the Old Cathedral is known as the Torre del Gallo (Cockerel Tower) due to the prominent weather vane on top. Inside can also be found a mural painting that covers the vault which was done by Nicolas Florentino. In this painting, he is depicting Christ at the Last Judgement. 3

Plan of both Cathedrals

Towards the end of the 15th century, it was found that the Old Cathedral was too small and it did seem practical since Gothic architecture was outspreading. As a result, construction for the New Cathedral began. This was also the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. The two cathedrals are significant in architecture because two architectural styles are being compared without taking away from the other. 3

Interior of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca

To visit the Old Cathedral, one must first walk through the New Cathedral. What is interesting about the two churches being built with different styles but being built within each other is that as one enters the Old Cathedral, he/she is surrounded by Romanesque architecture. 3

Works Cited

1 Fernie, Eric. Romanesque Architecture: The First Style of the European Age. New Haven: Yale UP, 2014. Print.

2 Rudolph, Conrad. A Companion to Medieval Art: Romanesque and Gothic in Northern Europe. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006. Print.

3 "Salamanca's Cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain." Spain.info. N.p., n.d. Web.