Zaragoza's La Seo Cathedral - 2, Spain

Description of Cathedral.

Outside:
               A.  TOWER designed by the Italian maestro Juan Bautista Contini ( 1686 - 1704)
               B    Main Facade built in Italian baroque style with a clear neoclassical tendency,                                        Archbishop Anoa y Busto.  entrusted the work to Julian Yarza, a disciple of Ventura
                     Rodriguez.
               C   Gothic-Mudejar Wall. This is north wall of Saint Michael's Chapel, which is also the                            parish church of La Seo. It dates from the times of Archbishop Lope Fernandez de Luna
                     (1352 - 1381).  The Gothic style windows are decorated with ceramic; polychromatic
                     borders bearing the Luna coat of arms at each of the vertices. Along the top part of the                          wall there are large sections with decorative geometric designs, an outstanding
                     example of Argonese Mudejar art.
               D   Apses: These are the two apses at the head of the naves. Their ashlar stone plinths date
                     from the end at each end of the twelfth century. Large windows open out over the
                     plinths. The windows along the nave have a chequered design. There is another section
                     of lavish mudejar brickwork above the romansque apses.

Inside:  The nave and aisles of La Seo cathedral form an impressive hall, it is decorated in a sober
              manner, except for the baroque facades of some of the chapels. Inside the cathedral there is
              an incredibly harmonious combination of all of the artistic trends, influenced by the ever-                     present Aragonese Mudejar style. There are sixteen chapels leading off from the hall.
              Zaragoza's bright daylight provides natural illumination, gently filtered through circular
              windows.

 1.     Chapel of San Pedro Arbues: Facade formed by lowered arches with gothic cresting. Low
         canopy with wreathed columns and above the altar an image of San Pedro Arbues, Canon of La
         Seo, assassinated in 1485. This eighteenth century image, of great beauty, is the work of Juan
         Ramirez. On the walls there are large paintings thought to be the work of the seventeenth                    century artist Berdusan.

  2.    Saint Augustine's Chapel: . Baroque eighteenth century facade, with elliptic dome decorated
         with medallions. The importance of this chapel resides in its renaissance altarpiece, the work of
         Gil Morlanes with excellent sculptures by Gabriel Yoli. The image of Saint Augustine is by
         Jose' Sanz (1720)
  3.    Chapel of Santo Dominguito de Val.  This chapel, dating from the second half of the seventeeth
         century, boasts a very attractive baroque facade with an eliptical penderentive dome decorated
         with curved plasterwork. A marble chest holds the remains of Saint Dominguito de Val, a
         choirboy who was murdered in 1250 and who is the patron saint of the "Infanticos" (Our Lady            of the Pillar choirboys.
  4. Chapel of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Built by Gabriel Zaporto at the end of              the sixteenth century for his own burial. The headstone is still conserved. The renaissance facade
       is enclosed by impressive bron-ze railings which are the work of Guillien Trujaron and the                  renaissance altarpiece by Juan de Anchieta is particularly worthy of mention. The walls are                  covered with glazed tiles and paintings attributed to the Siena artist, Pedro Morone.
  5.  Saint Helen's Chapel. Seventeenth century facade and altarpiece with baroquerelief work. The            walls boast large paintings by Lupicini de Florencia dating from the same century. This chapel is        now known as the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament.
 6    Chapel of Saint Valero. Dedicated to the Patron Saint of Zaragoza. An excellent example of a
       baroque with images of Saint Valero, Saint Vicent and of Saint Lawrence in gift wood dating             from the seventeeth century. The walls have been decorated by the painter Garcia Ferrer.
 7   Chapel of Ntra. de las Nieves, its late Gothic structure is covered by a cross vault. It has a
      baroque altarpiece with relief work and excellent paintings by Francisco Ximeno.
 8  The Pabostria portico.  The portico has an interesting stellar vault with curved and straight lines.
     It is, however, its beautifully crafted, interior renaissance facade which is truly remarkable. Tak
     in the magnificent general view of the Cathedral from this point.
9   The Holy Christ Chapel and Retrochoir.  This chapel is the work of the masters Jeronimo Vallejo,
     Arnau de Bruselas and Juan Sanz de Tudelilla. Using hardened plaster they achieved a surprising        renaissance ensemble, full of decorative elements of considerable merit, which had a significant
     influence on the Argonese renaissance style. To either side there are small chapels devoted to Our      Lady of Mercy, Saint Leonard, Saint Philip and Saint Orosia on the left; whilst those on the right        are devoted to Saint Martha, Saint Matthew (also known as the Chapel of the Relica), Saint John        the Baptist and saint Thomas of Villaneuva. To the front is The Holy Christ Chapel, in which a
     canopy resting on wreathed columns in black marble, protects a magnificent calavary, with Christ      on the cross, Mary grieving and Saint John the disciple, a masterpeice by Arnau de Bruselas,              dating from the end of the sixteenth century. There is particular popular devotion to this Holy              Christ.
10.  Saint Bernard's Chapel. One of the most important examples of Aragonese renaissance. Built in          the mid sixteenth century it consists of an altarpiece dedicated to Saint Bernard, which is joined          to two lateral altarpieces with the tombs of Hernando of Aragon and his mother Ana de Gurrea.          All in alabaster, exquisitely carved by three great sculptors: Juan de Liceyre, Bernardo Perez and
       Pedro Moreto. The chapel is enclosed by beautiful renaissance railings crafted by Guillen
       Trujaron.
 11. Saint Benedict's Chapel. It was built in the sixteenth century in late Gothic style, by the                        archbishop Hernando of Aragon, as a burial tomb for his servers.
 12. Saint Mark's Chapel. In the past it was used for the solemn Transferral and Reservation of the
       Blessed Sacrament on Holy Thursday.
 13  The Nativity Chapel. This chapel has a very simple facade with balustrade railings from the
        sixteenth century. It has a ribbed vault with diagonal arches. The renaissance altarpiece, which           dates from the sixteenth century has six paintings on panels.  These works are attributed to
        Roland de Mois or Jeronimo de Mors. The chapel is enclosed by bronze renaissance railings
        crafted by Hernando of Avila.
 14   Chapel of Saint Justa and Saint Rufina. Very sober facade dating from the seventeenth century.
        Covered by a dome over pendentives with lanterns. The walls boasts works by Juan Galvan.              The painting with Saint Justa and Saint Rufina is by Francisco Camilo (1644)
 15  Saint Vincent's Chapel. Baroque facade. The image of the deacon Saint Vincent is work of the
       sculptor Carlos Salas (around 1760)
 16  Saint James's Chapel. It has an exuberant highly baroque facade. Below the canopy there is the            sixteenth century image of Saint James, in pilgrim's attire. Paintings by Pablo Raviella (1695)
 17  Saint Michael's Chapel. The parish church of la Seo.
 18  Chapel of the " White Virgin". Altarpiece of baroque carpentry with 30 paintings by the                      Zaragoza artist Jusepe Martinez (1647). In a central niche, there is a beautiful Gothic sculpture of
       the Virgin and Child in alabastar from the fifteenth century, the work of the French sculptor
       Fortaner de Usesques. On the chapel floor the tombs of several sixteenth and seventeenth
       century archbishops of Zaragoza can be seen.
 19  Choir.  The entrance is closed off with a bronze gate over which there are gilt wood sculptures,
       the work of Juan Ramirez. The choir stalls consist of 117 wooden seats in oak carved by the                brothers Gomar, Bernardo Giner and, Mateo de Carmbray. The Archbishop Dalmau de Mur is
       buried here.
 20  Organ. The present organ conserves traces of the beautiful gothic case of 1469 and pipes from
       the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries, manufactured by the leading organ makers (Lupe, Sesma)
       of those times. It is the work of Pedro Roques who, between 1857 and 1859, summarised the
       vast and complex history of this unique instrument.
 21  Dome. It has covered the transept since 1520 when it replaced the previous one, which had been          built at the request of Pope Luna in 1412. The current dome has two bodies: the first is square              and the second octagonal. The whole structure is a harmonious blend of renaissance decoration
       with gothic-mudejar lines, well-finished on the outside. It is highly complex work of great
       beauty.
 22  High altarpiece. This polychrome alabaster high altarpiece was built in 1434 at the request of
       Archbishop Dalmau de Mur. The lower part of the altarpiece has seven niches with scenes of the
       matyrdom of Saint Lawrence, the reception of Saint Valero, Saint Lawrence and Saint Vincent
       The other three niches with scenes contain the "heads" of Saint Valero, Saint Lawrence and Saint
        Vincent in silver with Limoges enamelling, donated to the cathedral by Pope Pedro bde Luna,
        Benedict XIII. The lower part of the altarpiece is the work of Pere Johan. The maestro Hans Piet         d'Anso made the whole of the central section in albaster with three large scenes of the
        Transfiguration of the Lord, the Homage of the Three Wise men, and the Ascension, in relief,             separated by gothic pillars. In the middle section the circular window bordered by cherubs, a               work of Gil Morlanes (1488), is particulary noteworthy.
        The two most relevant liturgical elements are to be found in the presbytery: the High Altar of the         Diocese and the Episcopal Lectern, in addition there are two interesting pieces of furniture: two           platersque chairs which, according to tradition, belonged to the Ferinand and Isabella the                    Catholic King and Queen and the lectern made in walnut and cherry wood with the coat of arms          of Pope Luna.
       The remains of Archbishop Juan 1 of Aragon lie in a beautiful Gothic tomb embedded in the                wall. The Archbishops Juan II and Alonso of Aragon rest in two simple tombs in the floor of the          presbytery.
 23  Chapel of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Altarpiece of baroque style relief work in gilt wood. At the         base  the relief work depicts scenes from the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
 24  Sacristy and Chapter House Museum. Under restoration.
 25  Entrance to Tapestry Museum. Not to be missed.

Religious Activity
Holy Mass:    Monday to Saturday:  7.00pm
                                          Sunday    9.30am, 12.30pm and 7.00pm

Zaragoza's La Seo Cathedral
Plaza de la Seo, s/n
50001 Zaragoza

Sacristy:   976 29 12 38
Chapter:   976 29 12 31
Fax:          976 20 07 52

Email:   lasoezaragoza.org
Web:     www.cabildodezaragoza.org