A landmark of faith in Ourense

Ourense Cathedral stands on the site of a church destroyed and rebuilt many times. The present building was raised with the support of Bishop Lorenzo Hispano in 1220, replacing a structure that had been repeatedly destroyed over the centuries by the Moors and the Northmen who invaded the city. In 550, the Suevian king Chararic built a second church dedicated to St Martin of Tours on the site of today's cathedral. It was also at this time that an arch bridge was built over the river to facilitate access to the thermal springs.

Construction in the 12th and 13th centuries was supported by Bishop Lorenzo, who also built the new Ourense bridge and the bishop's palace. Gothic additions followed until the early 16th century. The cathedral plan takes the form of a Latin cross, with a nave flanked by slightly lower lateral aisles. Completed in 1505 by Rodrigo de Badajoz, the octagonal Gothic lantern tower rises above the point where the transept crosses the nave. The cathedral has undergone an impressive transition of architectural styles including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical.

The cathedral is dedicated to St Martin, and the interior features a silver-plated shrine for the local patroness, Saint Euphemia. Visitors can see the Portal of Paradise, enriched with figures of angels and saints, and the main altarpiece in the flamboyant Gothic style. The cathedral museum is accessed through the Romanesque door leading to the Gothic cloisters known as Claustra Nova, where artifacts include the oldest Christian tombstone in Galicia and the first book published in Galicia in 1494.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons