Plasencia Cathedral

In the historic city of Plasencia, riding a Estremadura, one of the most significant monuments is, without a doubt, its cathedral… or cathedrals.

Indeed, during your walk through the historic center of Plasencia, when you arrive in front of the great cathedral building, its peculiar configuration will surely catch your attention.

It is clear which is the main entrance, which you find on the Cathedral Square.

But seeing its exterior, with a large central building and a peculiar bell tower not common in a cathedral, you are not sure if you are looking at an unfinished building, or a semi-demolished one.

And in reality it is about both things at the same time.

History of Plasencia Cathedral

To understand it, I will tell you that in the 13th century a first Romanesque style cathedral, transition to Gothic, of which its west façade stands out externally.

There you can see a Romanesque doorway, with the characteristic semicircular arches.

Bell tower of the Old Cathedral of Plasencia

But at the end of the 1498th century, specifically, in XNUMX, it was decided to start the construction of a new cathedral, already in the Gothic-Renaissance style, a work undertaken by the most important architects of the time.

And how did you decide to approach the work? just as it was done at that time.

Instead of demolishing the old building, the construction of the new cathedral began by overlapping the building on top of the old cathedral, so that the central nave of the new one corresponds to the previous building.

But in 1578 the work was paralyzed, and although it was resumed for a time in the XNUMXth century, the cathedral was finally left unfinished.

Main altarpiece of the New Cathedral of Plasencia

In this way, now when visit the Cathedral of Plasencia, you will enter the building Cathedral Nueva, from which inside you can access what remains of the Old Cathedral,

You can also visit its cloister, an area that is set up as a museum, with paid access.

From the almost complete New Cathedral of Plasencia Its main façade stands out, in Plateresque style.

Inside, its heights will catch your attention. ribbed vaultsAs well as main altarpiece Baroque style, from the 17th century, and the choir and organ, both in Plateresque style.

Plasencia Cathedral schedules

The Visiting hours of the Old Cathedral of Plasencia They are, in summer, from 10 a.m. to 12,30:17 p.m. and from 18,30 p.m. to 16:17,30 p.m.; In winter, in the afternoons it opens from XNUMX to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.