Santa Maria de Vitoria

St. Mary's Cathedral ( Basque. Gasteizko Santa Maria katedrala , Spanish: Catedral de Santa María de Vitoria ) is a cathedral in the city ​​of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the province of Alava ^[2] , Basque Country . It is the co- cathedral of the diocese of Vitoria .

St. Mary's Cathedral rises on a hill above the buildings of the old city. The beginning of construction dates back to the 13th century , and the construction continued throughout the 14th century , fully completed by the 19th century .

The building was erected in the Gothic style . In terms of it, it is a cross with a wide transept and a circular apse . There are several chapels at the cathedral. ^[3] The facade is decorated with statues of the Virgin Mary, St. Aegidius , St. James , as well as bas-reliefs depicting scenes of the Last Judgment . The interior is decorated with paintings by medieval masters.

In 1496 - 1861 the church was a collegiate church, ^[4] and since 1862, after the formation of the diocese of Vitoria, it was given the status of a cathedral.

In 1931, the cathedral was included in the list of Cultural Interests of Spain. In the 1960s , the city built the New Cathedral , built over half a century, and today Santa Maria de Vitoria is known in the city as the Old Cathedral .