Alcalá de Henares Cathedral

Cathedral of St Justus and St Pastor in Alcalá de Henares
Native name Spanish: Catedral de los Santos Niños Justo y Pastor de Alcalá de Henares
Location	Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Coordinates	40°28′50″N 3°22′09″W / 40.480525°N 3.369258°WCoordinates: 40°28′50″N 3°22′09″W / 40.480525°N 3.369258°W
Governing body	Roman Catholic Church
Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Catedral de los Santos Niños Justo y Pastor de Alcalá de Henares
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	1904[1]
Reference no.	RI-51-0000085
Location of Cathedral of St Justus and St Pastor in Alcalá de Henares in Spain

The Cathedral of St Justus and St Pastor in Alcalá de Henares (Spanish: Catedral de los Santos Niños Justo y Pastor de Alcalá de Henares) is a Catholic cathedral located in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1904.^[1]

The Carrillo archbishop (1446-1482), rises the church to the rank of collegiate church. At the time of Cardinal Cisneros (1495-1517) he was awarded the title of "Master" and the current building is designed, constructed between 1497 and 1515 in late Gothic style typical of this stage. The tower was built between 1528 and 1582.

In 1904 the Cathedral was declared National Monument. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the church is burned losing virtually all its treasures, saving some bars and some chairs from the old choir. In 1991 the diocese of Alcalá restored and is elevated to the status of cathedral-master, Diocese Complutense recovering that which was from the V century until 1099

Exterior

The exterior of the temple is simple and austere. The walls are covered by molding type Segovia. They emphasize the cover of the western facade of Flamboyant Gothic style, in which central medallion depicted on Saint Ildefonso; and the tower, designed by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and Rodrigo Argüello, in herrerian style, with a height of 62.05 meters. Top is a beautiful spire tower slate.

The cathedral has a severe seventeenth century cloister arches between pilasters. Soils appear covered by Renaissance carpets from nearby convents. In one of the walls the grave of Cardinal Cisneros remains.

Interior

The building's interior is divided into three naves covered by cross vaults resting on pillars fasciculados. The overall shape of the building resembles the traditional Latin cross with marked transept. The entire building suffered much in that fire, and countless works of art and objects of great historical, devotional and sentimental value were lost. Today the temple houses apart from its religious functions, an interpretive center and the Cathedral Museum.

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  Cover of the Cathedral.

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  Cathedral facade.

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  Church tower.

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  Spiral staircase to access the bell tower.

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  Silver urn.

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  Interior of the Cathedral.

References

1. Database of protected buildings (movable and non-movable) of the Ministry of Culture of Spain (Spanish).