Cadiz Cathedral

Cádiz Cathedral stands on the edge of the old town beside the Atlantic Ocean, and its yellow-tiled dome is one of the first things you notice when approaching the city from the water. This is the New Cathedral, begun in the early eighteenth century and finished only in the nineteenth. Work started in 1722 to designs by Vicente Acero, at a time when Cádiz’s fortunes were growing rich from its monopoly on trade with the Americas, and it continued slowly as funds fluctuated and architects changed. The result is a building that moves from exuberant Spanish Baroque in the lower parts to a calmer Neoclassical manner in the upper levels and dome, a visible record of changing taste across more than a century.

The facade, with its curved front and twin towers, is built of a pale local stone quarried across the bay near El Puerto de Santa María. The stone is full of tiny shells and softens over time in the sea air, which gives the exterior its weathered, honey-coloured surface. Inside, the cathedral is spacious and light, with tall columns, a clear nave and a choir with carved stalls that were brought from another monastery. The mood is formal and restrained rather than ornate, with sculpture and religious paintings placed around the chapels and the high altar.

The crypt is one of the more interesting parts of the visit. It is a circular, low-vaulted space beneath the church, and it is where the composer Manuel de Falla, born in Cádiz, is buried. The cathedral also has a museum area with religious art, silverwork and vestments, and visitors can climb one of the towers, the Torre de Poniente, for a view over the rooftops, the sea and the narrow streets of the old town.

The cathedral overlooks Plaza de la Catedral, a pleasant square with cafes, and the Old Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Cross, stands close by on the seafront. The city around it is surrounded by water on three sides, with watchtowers on its roofs, and the Torre Tavira, with its camera obscura, gives another way of seeing the same skyline. Playa de la Caleta and the Castillo de San Sebastián are a short walk away.

Allow an hour or two for a visit. Hours and ticket options change, so check the official site before going. The cathedral is active for worship, and visitors are asked to dress and behave respectfully.