Segovia Cathedral

Segovia Cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción y de San Frutos
West façade and bell tower as seen from the Alcázar.
40°57′00″N 4°07′31″W / 40.95°N 4.12528°W / 40.95; -4.12528
Location	Segovia
Address	1, Marqués del Arco
Country	Spain
Denomination	Catholic
Website	catedralsegovia.es
History
Status	Cathedral
Dedication	Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Saint Fructus
Dedicated	16 July 1768[1]
Architecture
Architect(s)	Juan Gil de Hontañón (first)
Style	Late Gothic
Groundbreaking	8 June 1525[1]
Specifications
Tower height	88 m (288 ft 9 in)
Administration
Metropolis	Valladolid
Diocese	Segovia (since 6th Century)
Clergy
Bishop(s)	César Augusto Franco Martínez
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: (iv)
Designated	1985 (9th session)
Part of	Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct
Reference no.	311
Spanish Cultural Heritage
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	3 June 1931
Reference no.	RI-51-0000862

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and of Saint Fructus is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Spanish city of Segovia. The church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and to Saint Fructus and is the seat of the Diocese of Segovia. It was built in the Flamboyant style,^[2] and was dedicated in 1768, constituting one of the latest Gothic cathedrals in Europe.^[1]

The massive cathedral was built between 1525 and 1577 in a late Gothic style, outdated elsewhere in Europe. The previous cathedral of Segovia had stood adjacent to the Alcazar, and had been used by the royal armies in defending the latter against siege. The rebellious Comuneros were intent on taking the cathedral to protect its holy relics, and to use its position against the walls of the Alcazar in order to defeat its defenders. In a famous exchange, prominent city officials urged the comuneros to halt their attacks on the church, saying they should consider the injustice of razing so sumptuous a temple while making war against those who, serving their king, defended his Alcazar. But their plea fell on deaf ears, and the comuneros replied: la Iglesia era de la Ciudad (the Church belonged to the City).^[3] After a bitter siege lasting months, the cathedral lay in ruins.

Due to fears of a repeat assault, the cathedral was relocated to the present site and built using a design by the Trasmeran mason named Juan Gil de Hontañón, and the work was continued by his son Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón.

The building's structure features three tall vaults and an ambulatory, with fine tracery windows and numerous stained glass windows. The interior is characterized by unity of style (late Gothic), except for the dome, built around 1630 by Pedro de Brizuela. The Gothic vaults are 33 meters high by 50 meters wide and 105 long. The bell tower reaches almost 90 meters. The current stone spire crowning the tower, dating from 1614, was erected after a major fire caused by a thunderstorm. The original spire, entirely Gothic, was built of American mahogany, had a pyramidal structure, and was the tallest tower in Spain.

The retablo mayor, or main reredos, of the cathedral was carved by Francisco Sabatini, and is dedicated to the Virgin of the Peace. It is adorned with the Segovian Saints Frutos, Geroteo, Valentín and Engracia. The choir has gothic seating.

Among the most prominent chapels are that of the Santísimo Sacramento, with a Reredo by José de Churriguera, the Chapel of San Andrés, with a Triptych of the Deposition by Ambrosius Benson, the Chapel of Piety with the Entombment by Juan de Juni; and the chapel of the Deposition with the recumbent Christ by Gregorio Fernández.

• Capilla de San Andrés Apóstol
• Capilla de San Cosme y San Damián
• Capilla de San Gregorio
• Capilla de la Concepción

• Capilla del Cristo Yacente (Reclining Christ)
• Capilla de Santa Bárbara
• Capilla de Santiago Apóstol
• Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo

• Crescentius of Rome
• Saint Fructus (d. 715), and his siblings Saint Valentine (Valentín) and Saint Engratia (Engracia).

The cathedral museum has works by Pedro Berruguete, Sánchez Coello and Van Orley, and the cathedral archives treasure the first printed book made in Spain: the Synod of Aguilafuente (1472).^[4]

• 
  Aerial view.
• 
  Remote view at sunset.
• 
  The apse as seen from the Plaza Mayor.
• 
  Vitreaux of Virgin Mary.
• 
  Chapter house.
• 
  Ayala Chapel.
• 
  Pipe organ.
• 
  Choir.
• 
  Retrochoir and central nave.
• 
  Cloister.

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Segovia
• List of cathedrals in Spain

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cathedral of Segovia.

• Official Website