Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Cádiz
The Holy and Apostolic Cathedral Church of Cádiz is the episcopal seat of the diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta, in Spain. It is a baroque and neoclassical style building. Construction began in 1722 and was completed on November 28, 1838, although with works still pending, such as the choir, the presbytery and the towers. The economic crises caused the cathedral to have a varied style, due to the French invasions and the subsequent loss of power over America. It is an Asset of Cultural Interest.
It receives the name of the "Santa Cruz sobre el Mar" or "Santa Cruz sobre las Aguas", although the people of Cádiz call it New Cathedral in as opposed to the Old Cathedral, built in the XVI century on the old Gothic cathedral ordered to be built by Alfonso X El Sabio, and which today serves as the parish church.
It is located in the historic center of Cádiz, almost on the edge of the sea, and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. It has visiting hours both for the interior of the temple and for the Clock Tower. The same entrance to the cathedral is used to access the Cathedral Museum of Cádiz, located in Plaza Fray Félix, next to the Old Cathedral. In addition to the pieces exhibited in the museum, it has a deposit with other works of interest.
History
It is a religious building of large proportions that began to be built in the XVIII century, according to the architect's project Vicente Acero, in the year 1722. Acero abandoned the project in 1739 and Gaspar Cayón took charge of the works, leaving their direction in 1757 to his nephew Torcuato Cayón. After his death in 1783, Miguel Olivares succeeded him until 1790, when he began directing the work Manuel Machuca y Vargas. Finally, from 1832 until its conclusion, the works were supervised by Juan Daura.
The decision to replace the old cathedral with a new one was due to two main circumstances: the poor state of conservation of the first, and the desire to have a more monumental and representative space in keeping with the importance that Cádiz had acquired with the transfer of the Casa de Contratación to this city from Seville in the year 1717.
In the 116 years that its construction lasted, the building's traces underwent changes in the fashions and tastes of different architects, which explains the conjunction of different styles: Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical fundamentally.
The materials that were used were very varied, due to the various economic crises that the city had to face; Thus, Genoese marble can be seen for the different altars and doors, jasper, and limestone and oyster stone for the exterior walls.
It was Bishop Fray Domingo de Silos Moreno who blessed it in 1838. When he died in 1853, his successor, Bishop Juan José Arbolí y Acaso, decided to raise funds to finish the pending works, personally following the construction of the tower of West using stone from a quarry in Medina and completed in 1862. The clock tower was completed in 1845 and became the highest point in the city, with approx. 54 meters high from the ground and 58 meters above sea level.
Due to the delay in the works, many parts of the temple were exposed to the rigors of time. This and the very situation of the building next to the sea has caused a disease in the stone that causes it to crumble little by little; That is why the vaults of the temple are covered by nets that prevent rubble from falling to the ground. Since the beginning of the XXI century, restoration works have been carried out in the temple
Characteristics of the Cathedral
Outside
The main doorway is a combination of concave and convex shapes, characteristic of the Baroque style. The towers that rise on both sides of the portal culminate in the form of an astronomical observatory; It is an exceptional fact that the Cathedral has bell towers of such height, since the construction of such structures was prohibited by the Bourbons, as they constituted an easy target for the enemy.
The temple has several domes, two of which stand out: the transept dome, made up of a drum and a hemispherical cap; It sits on pendentives and its exterior is covered by golden tiles that during the day give it great light. Next to it is another smaller dome, located on the main altar. Another smaller dome is located above the chapel dedicated to keeping the relics.
The cathedral's clock, of more recent construction (1851), was made by José Manuel de Zugasti.
Inside
The temple has a Latin cross plan and three naves, with a transept topped by a dome, and a large pentagonal ambulatory. The space inside is delimited by sets of Corinthian columns raised on plinths. The roof is solved by hollow vaults in most of the building, many of them showing a rich sculptural bas-relief decoration.
The main altar consists of a freestanding temple in neoclassical style, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. Throughout the perimeter of the temple there are chapels (which at the time of construction were dedicated to housing the workshops necessary for the work of the temple) dedicated to various saints.
Chapels
Chapel of Saint Peter
It is the first if we begin the tour at the feet of the Gospel ship. It is presided over by a neoclassical white stone altarpiece, the work of Carlos Requejo from around 1883. In a niche between Doric pilasters is the marble image of San Pedro. It was carved by Esteban Fregoni for the cover of the Old Cathedral. Above the altarpiece is a portrait of Saint Francis of Paula painted in the XIX century by José Freüller Alcalá Galiano.
Chapel of the Assumption
Its marble altarpiece, with double Solomonic columns, is from the mid-XVIII century, attributed to Alessandro Aprile. The size of the holder is linked to Francesco Maria Schiaffino.
The chapel presents a rich colored marble floor and two niches on its sides with the images of San Martín de la Asunción and San Fermín created by Gaetano Patalano in 1694 for the altarpiece of the Biscayans in the Old Cathedral.
It was the first to host liturgical celebrations in the 18th century, while work on the rest of the temple continued.
Chapel of Saint Sebastian
It is presided over by a canvas of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian signed and dated 1621 by the Genoese Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo. Before the painting, the image of Ecce Homo carved by La Roldana in 1684. Originally it was It was a bust from which in the second half of the XVIII century the rest of the body was carved.
The side niches are occupied by the images of San Antonio de Padua and San Pascual Bailón. They were carved by Ignacio Vergara in the mid-XVIII century for the disentailed Convent of the Discalced. There are also two Flemish coppers from the 17th century with the themes of Jesus among the children and The Sermon on the Mount.
Chapel of Saint Thomas of Villanueva
First chapel of the ambulatory, it has two canvases of the titular saint made around 1838 by Antonio Quesada. On the altar table there is a small risen Christ close to the style of Alonso Martínez. Two marble images of Santa Clara and San Fernando occupy the side niches.
Chapel of the Holy Angel
Its altar is occupied by a painting of the Guardian Angel made in 1838 by Joaquín Manuel Fernández Cruzado. On it there is another by the same author with a portrait of San Benito. The chapel is completed with two Flemish coppers from the XVII century that represent scenes from the life of the Magdalene.
Chapel of Blessed Diego
It was dedicated to Santa Gertrudis until the Capuchin Diego José de Cádiz was beatified in 1894. His image, sculpted by Diego García Alonso in 1890, occupies the altarpiece created in marble by Carlos Requejo in the mid-XIX century and which preserves in its attic a relief of its former owner.
Chapel of Saint Benedict
It is presided over by a painting of the owner made by Carlos Blanco in 1838. Above it, another canvas with a scene from the life of the saint signed the same year by Jerónimo Marín.
The chapel has two carvings of Saint Anthony, one from the Genoese school of the XVIII century and another made in marble the previous century and also of Italian origin. The Virgen de la Esperanza, a Mannerist carving from the end of the XVI century, is of Dutch origin. It came from the ex-cloistered Convent of La Merced.
Chapel of San Servando and San Germán
Dedicated to the patron saints of Cádiz, represented by sculptures by Luisa Roldán. She made them in 1687 in order to process with the Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi. Francisco María Mórtola repolichromed them in 1756. They are worshiped in twin neoclassical altarpieces designed in the mid-XIX century by Juan de la Vega.
Sanctuary Chapel
Octagonal in plan, it occupies the center of the ambulatory. its skullcap vault shows reliefs with the Fathers of the Church.
The altar presents an eighteenth-century painting of the Immaculate Conception from the Sevillian school, surrounded by showcases with a collection of reliquaries and canvases of saints of various origins. The doors of the altarpiece have paintings of the apparitions of the Virgin to Saint Bernard and Saint Luke, the latter close to the style of Mattia Preti.
At the entrance to the chapel there are two young angels carved by La Roldana for the Holy Week Eucharistic monument.
Chapel of Saint Teresa
It is presided over by a canvas of Saint Teresa signed by Cornelio Schut in 1668. The side niches display images of Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, from the 16th century XVIII and attributed to Pedro Duque Cornejo.
Old tabernacle chapel
It houses the rich processional monstrance of the Corpus Christi, made in silver between 1649 and 1664 by Antonio Suárez according to a design by Alejandro de Saavedra. It was reformed by Bernardo Centollini in 1693. The litter, from 1740, was also carved in silver by Juan Pastor. They are lit by four small lanterns made by Sebastián Alcaide in 1740.
Chapel of Saint Joseph
The altar features two 1838 paintings by José García Chicano depicting Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony. On the altar table, there is an Immaculate Conception attributed to Ignacio Vergara that belonged to the Descalzos Convent. In one of the niches there is a marble Virgen del Rosario attached to Cayetano de Acosta.
Chapel of Saint John Baptist de la Salle
Previously dedicated to the Lost Child, present in a Sevillian school canvas from the 18th century. The current headline is an image of Víctor de los Ríos from the mid-XX century. In the side niches there are images of the Virgin and Saint Joseph that are attributed to Benito de Hita y Castillo and whose original polychrome is hidden under a white repaint that imitates marble.
Chapel of the Heart of Jesus
Originally dedicated to San Firmo, its fire in 1832 was the incentive to finish the works on the cathedral. It is occupied by the monument to the Heart of Jesus made by Mariano Benlliure in 1930 and which could not be placed on public roads because the Second Republic was proclaimed.
Other pieces of interest in the chapel are two scenes from the life of Christ painted by a Flemish artist in the 17th century, the Saint Jude from the first half of the XVIII century and the Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier by Gaetano Patalano from the Old Cathedral.
Chapel of the Nazarene
Dedicated to the Perpetual Regidor of Cádiz since 1681. It is represented by the image of Jesus carrying the cross carved by Pedro Campana in 1703. Until the century XIX presided over the chapter house of the City Council of Cádiz.
The front of the chapel is covered by a large canvas by Pablo Legot that represents the Adoration of the Magi. On it, an oval of San Jerónimo attributed to Clemente de Torres. In the side niches there are images of Saint Thomas and Saint Patrick, Baroque works from the 18th century.
Saint Paul's Chapel
Its altarpiece matches that of the chapel of San Pedro, bordering it. The image of the holder, in marble, was carved by Esteban Frugoni in 1672. The tondo in the attic represents San Antonio Abad in a painting by José Früller Alcalá Galiano.
Chorus
Another interesting element of the cathedral is its choir; It is located towards the foot of the temple, in the central nave, in front of the main altar. True works of art are the choir stalls and the two organs it has, the one located to the left of the choir originally belonging to the Church of Santa Cruz or Old Cathedral. Sandra Massa Santos is the current titular organist. The Cathedral of Cádiz has an extensive musical archive with works by composers such as Juan Domingo Vidal, Zabala, Padilla, García Fajer, Delgado and Gálvez, and even composers who were not part of its musical chapel, as is the case with Pedro Rabassa. Currently the Music Chapel of the Cathedral of Cádiz "Virelay" under the direction of Jorge E. García Ortega, it is recovering a large part of those works that, in most cases, were only played on the day they were premiered for the trades. They are also in charge of the musical part of the cults. They have released four albums, all of them dedicated to the Chapel Masters of the Cathedral of Cádiz and their musical work there.
Crypt
Under the main altar is the crypt, located below sea level, where some illustrious people from Cádiz are buried, such as Manuel de Falla or José María Pemán, as well as many of the bishops of the diocese. In it you can find the body of Santa Victoria in a glass urn, whose face, feet and hands are covered with wax masks. The crypt stands out for the flat vault of the central space and for the curious sound reverberation that its shape produces.
Gallery
The main altar.
The organ.
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