Interesting places / Basilica of Santa Maria

City: Donostia - San Sebastián


In the "Mayor" street of San Sebastian is the Basilica of Santa Maria easily identifiable by the two flanking towers and whose presence is in sight as we enter the San Sebastian Old Town by the Calle Mayor.


The original church was Romanesque. Was expanded with the Gothic and Renaissance between 1522 and 1560.En the seventeenth century affected him the explosion of the castle, reconstruction work began around 1740 and it seems proved that it was Pedro Ignacio de Lizardi the author and the designer terminated by Francisco de Ibero culminating in 1774 baroque building that can be admired today, all financed mainly by the Royal Company Guipuzcoana of Caracas.


The church is rectangular with a semicircular apse and associated facilities. On the north side has attached the ship Santa Maria. One of the highlighted parts is the main facade, built with a large niche. Another feature to highlight the church is the altarpiece. The altarpiece (of the Virgen del Coro) and on both sides of it (of St. Pius V and Santa Barbara) are classicists. They were designed-questionably the Santa Barbara-by Diego de Villanueva and executed by Francisco de Azurmendi. The rest of the altarpiece are the Santa Catalina or Consulate (Jáuregui Thomas), St. Peter and St. Antonio (attributed to Francisco de Azurmendi or Ugartemendia Francisco), all of the rococo style. The altars of Solitude and the Sacred Heart are neoclassical, the performance of which used the rejected design for the altar of the Consulate traced by Ventura Rodriguez.


Now has a chapel converted in the western corridor of Santa Marta led by the Christ of Peace and Patience (s. XVI). Image is not covered with special artistic value, but if the sentimental derived from being placed on the Land Gate of the wall on the side looking towards the City.


Outside the main entrance is remarkable, open to the High Street, opposite the Cathedral far. Rococo is framed by two towers developed on the facade. It has recessed, in contrast to the convexity of the rest of the facade between the towers. Its iconography is Marian, accompanied by rock garden ornamentation. An image of S. Sebastian is venerated in a niche above.

Photo of Basilica of Santa Maria

Santa Mareda 1 Santa Mareda 2 Santa Mareda 3 Santa Mareda 4
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