Santiago Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Santiago Cathedral is a Catholic
Cathedral
in the city of Bilbao
that was officially declared cathedral in 1950. Its origins probably date to well before the foundation of the city in 1300, when Bilbao was little more than a small enclave of fishermen.
The temple is consecrated in honor of the apostle Saint James the Great
(Santiago in Spanish
), by virtue of being a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern branch of the Way of Saint James.
Architecturally, the present building is a mixture of styles: from the 15th century Gothic
of the cloister and the main vault, where of special interest are the cloister and the beautiful portal that gives access Correo street (Puerta del Angel), to the ostentatious Gothic Revival façade and spire.
A curious custom is the addition of stone carvings of local merchants along the buttresses of the main vault.
It shouldn't be confused with the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in the city of Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
that was officially declared cathedral in 1950. Its origins probably date to well before the foundation of the city in 1300, when Bilbao was little more than a small enclave of fishermen.
The temple is consecrated in honor of the apostle Saint James the Great
Saint James the Great
James, son of Zebedee was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle...
(Santiago in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
), by virtue of being a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern branch of the Way of Saint James.
Architecturally, the present building is a mixture of styles: from the 15th century Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
of the cloister and the main vault, where of special interest are the cloister and the beautiful portal that gives access Correo street (Puerta del Angel), to the ostentatious Gothic Revival façade and spire.
A curious custom is the addition of stone carvings of local merchants along the buttresses of the main vault.
It shouldn't be confused with the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. The cathedral is the reputed burial-place of Saint James the Greater, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. It is the destination of the Way of St...
.