Catalunya 1400

Construction began in the 11th century and was completed in the 18th. The present building therefore has different styles: Baroque on the main façade, Romanesque in the cloister and on Charlemagne’s Tower and Gothic in the nave.

The original primitive cathedral was the seat of the bishop of the diocese, but in 1015 Bishop Pere Roger made alterations to the early building. In 1038 a new Romanesque cathedral was consecrated, of which the bell tower, the cloister and two wings with the canons’ quarters have survived.

The Gothic building was begun in the 14th century at the eastern end and was completed in 1604. The original intention was to build a nave and two aisles, but the proposal of a single nave caused the work to be suspended and led to a debate lasting almost 50 years. In 1417 it was decided that building work should continue with a single nave which had a width of 23 metres and was the widest Gothic element in history.

The 17th-century flight of 90 steps leading to the main entrance is one of the most striking Baroque works in Europe. The exterior of the cathedral preserves the Gothic Portal of Saint Michael (north) and the 14th-century Portal of the Apostles (south).

The façade, built in 1730 by Pau de Costa, is made up of three sections. Just next to the tower is the gargoyle of the cathedral witch, the only one with a human form. According to legend, it depicts a woman who blasphemed and threw stones at the cathedral and who was turned to stone by divine intervention.

Above the main façade stands the 12th-century bell tower, or Charlemagne’s Tower, which was used as a buttress for the central work. It has an octagonal floor plan and six storeys and is crowned with a bronze angel which took the place of a figure with its eyes covered, a symbol of faith.

The interior of the cathedral gives a special feeling of grandeur which is a result of the enormous Gothic vault of the ceiling. There are about 30 chapels with images and altarpieces, but the group making up the high altar stands out, with a silver and gilt retable with stones and enamel and Charlemagne’s Chair, a Romanesque throne in marble.

To the north we find the Romanesque cloister, the work of the sculptor Arnau Cadell (13th c.) which has a trapezoidal layout and a double colonnade with biblical and imaginative scenes carved on the capitals.

To complete the visit there is the Museum Treasury, located in the Museu Capitular, to the west of the cloister.

The Museu d’Art de Girona organises guided tours of the cathedral that give an illuminating explanation of the history, the art and the religious symbolism of the building.

It can be visited in summer (10 am to 8 pm) and winter (10 am to 7 pm).

• Thanks to a loan by this institution, visitors to the exhibition can admire the following works: panels from the Retable of Saint Michael, by Joan Antigó and Honorat Borrassà.