Bilbao Cathedral

43°15′25″N 2°55′26″W / 43.25694°N 2.92389°W / 43.25694; -2.92389LocationBilbaoAddress1, Done Jakue PlazatxoaCountrySpainDenominationCatholicWebsitecatedralbilbao.comHistoryStatusCathedralDedicationJames the GreatDedicated30 December 1955ArchitectureStyleGothic, Gothic RevivalGroundbreaking14th CenturyCompleted15th CenturySpecificationsNave height22.5 m (74 ft)Tower height64 m (210 ft)Bells11AdministrationMetropolisBurgosDioceseBilbaoClergyBishop(s)Joseba Segura EtxezarragaCriteriaCultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)Designated2015 (39th session)Part ofRoutes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern SpainReference no.669bis-010 TypeNon-movableCriteriaMonumentDesignated3 June 1931Reference no.RI-51-0001010

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint James (Spanish: Basílica Catedral de Santiago; Basque: Done Jakue Basilika-Katedrala) is a Catholic cathedral in Bilbao, Spain. It is dedicated to the apostle James the Great, by virtue of being a point of transit for the pilgrims that followed the Northern Way of the Camino de Santiago. In 2015, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site together several other buildings along the route.^[1]

The temple was originally built between the 14th and 15th centuries as the city's main parish church, and as such, it is one the oldest extant buildings in Bilbao. It was built on the site of a previous temple with 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. In 1819, it was declared a minor basilica. The tower with spire and west portico, designed by local architect Severino de Achúcarro, were concluded in 1887.^[2] It was elevated to cathedral status on 30 December 1955, after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bilbao was officially created.^[3]

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 bell tower. A curious custom is the addition of stone carvings of local merchants along the buttresses of the main vault.

Gallery

• 
  Bell tower.
• 
  Porch and south portico, by Jenaro Pérez Villaamil (1850).
• 
  Portico of the Angel.
• 
  Central nave.
• 
  Vaults.
• 
  Cloister.

References

External links

• Official website
• Diocese of Bilbao