Catedral Vieja De Santa Maria De La Sede De Salamanca

This is the older of the churches that make up Salamanca Cathedral. The Old Cathedral dates back to the 12th century when founded by Bishop Jerome Perigord. It was built during the 12th and 13th centuries and is mainly Romanesque in architecture with some Gothic features including the vaulted nave. The Old Cathedral is dedicated to Santa Maria de la Sede (St. Mary of the See). The Old Cathedral can be visited as part of a combined ticket (€10 per adult) that includes entry into the New Cathedral, cloister & historic chapels as well as the Episcopal Palace exhibition rooms just across from the cathedrals at Plaza Juan XXIII. Highlights for us were the frescos in St. Martin's Chapel and the beautiful ancient chapel of St. Barbara. However, most impressive is the apse altarpiece, a cycle of 53 scenes known collectively as the Final Judgement by Italian painter Dello Delli. This is a remarkable cathedral treasure, worth spending some time to enjoy. The cloister area was mainly closed during our visit but we enjoyed the small museum setup with a handful of rooms containing cathedral antiquity and artworks. Then, through the shop and over to the Episcopal Palace to see the exhibition rooms and artworks there. That wraps up your visit to the Salamanca Cathedral complex.

The Old Cathedral of Salamanca (Cathedral Vieja de Salamanca in Spanish) is one of two existing cathedrals in the city of Salamanca, Castile and Leon, Spain. It was founded by Bishop Jerónimo de Perigord. Its construction began in the first third of the 12th century, continuing until the 14th century. Its architecture has Romanesque and Gothic influences. It is dedicated to Santa Maria da Sede. The cathedral has a Latin cross plan and three Romanesque naves, topped by Gothic transitional vaults. The main door, although it has lost part of its original artistic value, still conserves two statues, representing scenes of the Annunciation, one on each side.According to a legend, the San Martín Chapel or Olive Oil Chapel, where the ports of oils that were later used in the lamps of the Cathedral, served as a refuge for Franco, a general of the time. It is also worth mentioning that in the Old Cathedral there was a dome that became known by popular as the Torre do Galo, this mainly due to a weather vane that had in the crown.