Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao)
The name comes from Santiago Cathedral of St. James existing culture before the founding of Bilbao. Back in Town Charter of the town's founding in 1300, records the existence of the shrine of Santiago, located in the St. James Coast road. The original chapel, prior to the eleventh century, is the first religious building before the foundation of Bilbao.
The present church was built in the XIV century, but is cited as the reference year 1379 and since that date the data from the cathedral and are more accurate. It was in 1643 when the Holy See confirmed the Church. In 1819 he was consecrated as a basilica in 1950 and attained the rank of Cathedral.
Although the Church was to be Gothic, slow in its construction made this Gothic style that was initially going to have French influences, finished with a blend of styles.
If we cross the outer perimeter can see three entries with different stylistic features, but framed in ornate Gothic:
- Front door: both the front and the front door are of Gothic style and are oriented towards the Plaza de Santiago. On either side of the door are figures of St. Peter and St. Paul and at the top of the usual rosette Gothic churches.
Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao), Main Entrance
- Second door on the right of the main facade. This portico was built in the second half of XVI century Renaissance and trapezoidal parameters. Within the porch, the door contains a polychrome coat of Bilbao. Inside the door, the tympanum shows a statue of the Immaculate Conception by Francisco Arizmendi, dated 1873.
Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao), Input Side
Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao) Bilbao Detail of shield
- Third door located on E Street and known as the Angel door or door of the Pilgrims. The name comes from the Jacobean symbol on the door and waved to the pilgrims who came way to Compostela. The door, a Gothic structure, is decorated plateresco-Elizabethan style and ornamentation of the last Gothic period.
Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao), Pilgrim Gate
Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao), Symbol Jacobean
Indeed, the Angel door connects to the cloister, early sixteenth century Gothic cloister and only preserved in Biscay, along with the convent of San Francisco de Bermeo. In the cloister, 24 feet square, one can observe two altarpieces of the early twentieth century and three tombs. It has two ports connected to the church: one linked to the cruise and left arm that holds a picture of Santiago, the work of Pérez Comendador, and another near the entrance of the sacristy.
The Cathedral has a total of 15 chapels dedicated, according to the custom of the time, different saints or virgins, according to the preferences of wealthy parishioners that financed with the goal of placing in them the family graves.
Plano de la Catedral de Santiago (Bilbao)
The choir also has its own characteristics, since it is not located in the central part, as is usual in Gothic churches. In the last restoration in 2002, was installed a new body of 2,260 classic Nordic style pipes, named after the composer Jesús Guridi, who was the organist of the church of Santiago between 1918 and 1939.
The liturgical furnishings and original jewelry can be seen at the Museum of Sacred Art.
