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Old Cathedral of Salamanca

The Old Cathedral of Salamanca, dedicated to Santa María de la Sede, is a church of the 12th to 14th centuries that shows the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. Inside, the highlights are the main altarpiece by the Delli brothers (1430-1450), with 53 panels narrating the life of the Virgin and of Christ, crowned by a Last Judgement painted by Nicolás Florentino; the crossing lantern or Torre del Gallo (around 1150), with a double dome and scale decoration; and the Chapel of San Martín, or of the Oil, which preserves Gothic mural paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries, among them a fictive altarpiece around a Virgin Theotokos dated to 1262 and a figurative tapestry of the Last Judgement. The cloister and its chapels housed the first studies that gave rise to the University of Salamanca, and degree exams were held in the Chapel of Santa Bárbara. You can also visit the Chapter Rooms, with paintings and sculptures from the 13th to the 20th centuries, and the Chapel of San Bartolomé, or of Anaya, with the mausoleum of Archbishop Anaya. The visit is complemented by the Ieronimus exhibition, which tours the heights of the cathedral complex.

Things to do at Old Cathedral of Salamanca: 18 missions

• Visit the Old Cathedral of SalamancaVisit the Old Cathedral of Salamanca in Salamanca and get to know the place in person.
• Visit the Chapel of San BartoloméGet to know the Chapel of San Bartolomé, or of Anaya, the funerary chapel of Archbishop Anaya and a jewel of the Old Cathedral for the works it holds.
• Visit the Chapel of Santa BárbaraGet to know the Chapel of Santa Bárbara, founded by Bishop Juan Lucero in the mid-14th century, with its central tomb and a 16th-century altarpiece devoted to the life and martyrdom of the saint.
• Explore the Chapel of San MartínIn the Chapel of San Martín, or of the Oil, see several bishops' tombs and its ensemble of Gothic mural painting.
• See the Main ChapelIn the Main Chapel, see the altarpiece by the Delli brothers, which narrates episodes of the History of Salvation.
• See the Burials in the CloisterDiscover in the cloister the epitaph of Randulfo, the tombs of several canons and archdeacons, 14th-century Gothic paintings, historiated capitals and a Gothic statue of Santa María.
• Admire the Crossing Lantern or Torre del GalloAdmire the crossing lantern or Torre del Gallo, from the group of Duero domes with influences from French Poitou.
• Explore the Gospel AisleWalk the Gospel Aisle, narrowed in width by the wall of the New Cathedral, where the altar of Santa María la Blanca is found.
• Walk through the ensemble of cloister, chapels and former chapter roomsVisit the ensemble of cloister, chapels and former chapter rooms, the setting of very notable events and the seed of the University of Salamanca.
• Explore the Chapter RoomsDiscover the Chapter Rooms, three spaces added to the cloister in the 16th century that bring together paintings and sculptures from the 13th to the 20th centuries.
• See the Mural Paintings of the Chapel of San MartínOn the outside of the Chapel of San Martín, look at the paintings of this saint dividing his cloak with a beggar, alongside others from later periods.
• Walk through the Central NaveSee the central nave, covered with pointed arches and rib vaults at a moment of transition to Gothic.
• Visit the Chapel of Santa CatalinaGet to know the Chapel of Santa Catalina, or Chapel of the Canto, founded in the 12th century by Bishop Vidal and remodelled and extended with two more bays in the 15th.
• Explore the Epistle AisleOn the wall of the Epistle Aisle, see the remains of the Chapel of the Christ of the Battles and its large image of Christ Crucified.
• Climb the Bell TowerGet to know the square-plan tower shared by both cathedrals.
• Tour the Ieronimus exhibitionVisit the exhibition commemorating the 900 years of the diocese's history.
• See the Cathedral's towersTake in the Cathedral's two towers, the Mocha to the south and the Bell Tower to the north, which shape the church's pronounced character as a battlemented fortress.
• See the Main DoorwayTake in the main doorway, which preserves inside two statues representing the scene of the Annunciation.

Near Old Cathedral of Salamanca

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