Cathedral of Santa María de la Huerta of Tarazona
Declared a “place of cultural interest” since 2022
The Cathedral of Santa María de la Huerta de Tarazona, declared a “place of cultural interest” since 2002, is the main church of this city in Aragon, and it stands out because of many unique characteristics.
The first thing that draws your attention about how it was built is that it is located on a large plot of land on the right bank of the Queiles river, far from the centre of what was then the medieval city surrounded by gardens. The archaeological explorations, which have shed light on the presence of a semicircular building from the 15th century that may be a late Roman-Visigoth basilica (6th to 8th century), and the remains of an abbey and Romanesque capitals indicate that it was placed in a location traditionally designated for important buildings, which the cathedral of Gothic origins we see today was built on top of.
Construction began in the mid 12th century, and since then the additions and modifications to it have been constant.
Thus, even though until now it has always been classified as within a Gothic-Mudéjar style, it’s a building that belongs to the different styles it has lived through. And there are spaces in the building where all the styles that have emerged since the 12th century converge.
If its construction had not taken so long, and it had not been damaged severely in the War of the Two Peters (1356-1369), it would be the best example of French influenced Gothic architecture in Aragon. It is precisely that expansion over time that also makes it a jewel of Mudéjar culture that immortalises the long Islamic presence in this part of Aragon. In the mid 16th century, the interior of the church was renovated following a renaissance aesthetic, which was one of the main discoveries of the restoration that gave it the pseudonym of the Sistine chapel of the Spanish renaissance. And several baroque elements were added later.
The expectations raised after it was closed to the public for nearly three decades, in conjunction with the significance and richness of the artistic and archaeological discoveries, have made its reopening one of the most anticipated artistic events in Aragon and Spain.
OPENING HOURS AND VISITS
All the information can be found at www.catedraldetarazona.es