Minorca Cathedral
The Cathedral of Santa Maria de Ciutadella of the Diocese of Menorca is the most important Gothic building on the Balearic island of Menorca. At the same time it is an example of Catalan Gothic.
History
Alfonso III. (1265-1291) of Catalonia - Aragon, the conqueror of the island, ordered, together with three other churches on the island, this building on the site of the Arab Mosque of Ciutadella.
The work began under his successor, James II ( king from 1291 to 1327 ) and were under Peter IV completed only in 1362. Here we used the foundations of the minaret as a basis for the bell tower, on which, as previously performs a continuous ramp in the minaret. Was used to build Marès stone (limestone) the traditional building material on the island.
The Turkish invasion of 1558 heavily damaged the church. The Obelisk at the Plaza del Borne is to remember the events of the year 1558, when the inhabitants of Menorca fought against the invaders. The repairs lasted only until 1626, when a fire completely broke up the apse. This was followed by a more solid reconstruction.
In 1795, after the first return of Minorca to the Spaniards by the British, which has been in the 5th century episcopate of Menorca was reoccupied and Santa Maria de Ciutadella, became a cathedral. Pope Pius XII. awarded her the title of Basilica in 1953.
Description
The single-nave interior part with 44 m length, 14 m width and 22 m height of the largest on the island. It is completed by a simple ribbed vault. Outdoor fall on the pre- blinded in 1813 neoclassical portal with the large rosette over and the buttresses of the Gothic gargoyles. The new portal hides the Gothic. Right of the main entrance there is a baptismal font with a Gothic cover. The rest of the building has no outboard buttresses, which is a typical Gothic elements, but inner wall reinforcements. Been preserved from the original building is the Portal de sa Llum, a simple Gothic arch with a tympanum in the New Testament scene and apart from small mythical creatures - unadorned walls.
The Portal de sa Llum ( called portal of light, because it is oriented to the south to the sunny side ) is one of the oldest parts of the building, interrupting the series of four side chapels on the right side. One of the three left-hand side chapels preserved a Pietà. Of some traction is in the 19th century inserted with the plan of a Greek cross " Capella de la communion " with a representation of the " Immaculate Conception." Protrudes the location near the altar " Capella de les Animes " ( Chapel of Souls ), one of the first masterful works of Baroque style in Menorca. The stone carvings show the diversity of forms of Baroque. The columns present themselves turned, spiral, palm -like trunk with and indented ornaments.
In the apse, semi- decagonal altar once stood under a tall Gothic canopy, wearing the emblem of the seven island communities, the marble altar. Behind filled, topped by a representation of the "Madonna and Child", the choir stalls with the central episcopal see the apse. These props were the modernization of the Church (see picture of the apse ) to the victim.
The organ was built by the organ builder Blanca Fort Orgueners de Monserrat 1993. The instrument has 37 stops on three manuals and pedal. In contrast to many organs in Spain the manual divisions are not divided.