Description
The Cathedral of Santa Maria has been chosen by popular vote as one of the 7 Treasures of the Cultural Heritage of Tortosa, in the context of the celebration Tortosa Capital of Catalan Culture in 2021.
Tortosa cathedral is an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic architecture. Located at the foot of the promontory on which the castle stands, it stands on the site of the Roman forum, the Visigothic cathedral and the Muslim mosque.
Despite being built over a long period of time, it is surprisingly consistent in style, though the Baroque façade represents the final addition, in the 18th century.
The church consists of three naves without a transept, with side chapels between buttresses and a roof resting on ribbed vaulting. The absence of walls between the chapels around the apse creates a distinctive arrangement: a double ambulatory. Outstanding features include the pulpits in the first part of the central nave, the main altarpiece of Saint Mary or the Star, a polyptych in gilded and painted wood, and above all the chapel of La Cinta (Our Lady of the Ribbon) in high Baroque style, a major Marian shrine constructed with pink jasper from Tortosa and other fine marbles.
The Olivera doorway, in a charming Baroque style, is one of the entrances to the cloister, which is trapezium-shaped, with pointed arches resting on quatrefoil columns. The cloister contains a large number of carved stones and panels, Renaissance features and capitals depicting stories. The Palace archway leads to the permanent exhibition of the cathedral's artwork, housed in the former canons' house. The display features art from the nine centuries of the cathedral's history: Roman, Visigothic and Arabic epigraphs, paintings, documents, scrolls, sculptures, gold and silverwork, tapestries and seating from the 16th-century choir.
Donations
Adult: 5,00€.
Concession: 4,00€.
Retired people, Carnet Jove holders, families with 3 o more children. Child (10-16): 4,00€
Adult group* rate: 3,50€.
*Group of 20 or more.
