Cathedral of Santa María de Tudela

Canonry of Tudela / Saint Mary of Tudela

(Tudela, Navarre)

Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela

The city of Tudela was conquered from the Muslims by Alfonso I the Battler in 1119, and from that date onwards new Christian settlers arrived to join the Mozarabic community that had remained in the city. As part of the repopulation policy, in 1121 the old main mosque was consecrated as a collegiate church, and the Muslim population was displaced from its surroundings and replaced by Christians.

Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Portal of the Final Judgment

The organisation of the collegiate church resulted in the establishment of a regular community following the rule of Saint Augustine. The first prior of this house was Bernardo. Around 1124, Alfonso the Battler endowed the collegiate church with goods and revenues, many of which came from the old mosques. Both this collegiate church and the other churches in the city were subject to the bishopric of Tarazona, even though the territory was within the limits of the kingdom of Navarre, a fact that caused differences and disputes between the Aragonese and Navarrese estates over the years. Pope Innocent III placed the site under the protection of the Holy See.

From the foundation of the canonical institution, work was done to physically adapt the Muslim mosque as a Christian church; in 1149 this new building was consecrated. The building was not used for long, and in 1168 its reconstruction began, which lasted for many years, until 1263, resulting in the present church. The collegiate church, which had followed the Augustinian rule since its foundation, was secularised in 1236 and converted into a deanery. This estate maintained a position of power and confrontation in relation to the bishopric. After several failed attempts, finally in 1782 the bishopric of Tudela was constituted and became a cathedral, a fact confirmed the following year by a papal bull of Pius VI. This institution lasted only a few years, until 1845, when it was once again linked to Tarazona, and since 1955, in Pamplona.

Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Portal of the Final Judgment
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Portal of the Final Judgment

The collegiate church, and later cathedral of Tudela, was built between the 12th and 13th centuries, beginning with the apse. It is a building with three naves and a transept, with five apses, the central one being the widest. It also has other chapels that were added over time. To the west of the church is the door of the Last Judgement, a large work made up of sixteen columns with capitals, located on either side of the doorway (eight on each side), joined by slightly pointed archivolts, which are fully decorated. The work has Gothic features and probably dates from the first half of the 13th century. The north portal has six columns with historiated capitals, three at each corner. The slightly pointed archivolts are decorated with vegetal decoration. It dates from the beginning of the 13th century. The south doorway is sheltered under a porch. It consists of three columns with capitals at each corner and has semicircular archivolts with geometric decoration. It should be dated to the end of the 12th century.

The cloister is also preserved, consisting of four galleries with mostly historiated capitals, which would have been built during the last third of the 12th century. The church still preserves an invaluable collection of furnishings, including the main altarpiece, the work of Pedro Díaz de Oviedo, a large Gothic example, commissioned in 1487. The altarpiece of La Esperanza is older, commissioned in 1410 from the painter Bonanat de Zahortiga. The altarpiece of Saint Catherine is attributed to Juan de Leví and is from the same period as the previous one.

Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Portal of the Final Judgment
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
South portal
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
South portal
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
North portal
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Transept
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Santa Maria (major altarpiece)
Pedro Díaz de Oviedo, 1494
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Our Lady of Hope
Bonanat de Zahortiga, commissioned in 1410
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Saint Catherine
Attributed to Juan de Leví (15th century)
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Santa María la Blanca, 12th century
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Chapel of Santa Ana
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Tomb of Francés de Villaespesa
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Tomb of Francés de Villaespesa
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Tomb of Sancho Sánchiz de Oteiza
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Tomb of Sancho Sánchiz de Oteiza
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Choir
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Painting of the back choir
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Saint Martin
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Saint Martin
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Altarpiece of Saint Martin
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cloister
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cloister. Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Cloister. Raising of Lazarus
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela
Claustre. Apostles
Cathedral of Tudela
Cathedral of Tudela

Bibliography:
  • ARRAIZA, Jesús; i altres (2007). La catedral de Tudela. Pamplona: Gobierno de Navarra
  • AZCONA, Francisco (2021). La diócesis de Tudela. Pregón siglo XXI, núm. 60
  • DE EGRY, Anne (1959). La escultura del claustro de la Catedral de Tudela (Navarra). Príncipe de Viana, núm. 74
  • GARCÍA GUINEA, Miguel Ángel (dir.); i altres (2008). Enciclopedia del Románico en Navarra. Fundación Santa María la Real, Centro de Estudios del Románico
  • JIMÉNEZ LÓPEZ, Jorge (2018). La puerta del Juicio Final de la catedral de Tudela. Límites visuales, historiográficos y topográficos. Príncipe de Viana, núm. 272
  • MARTÍNEZ, Carlos J. (2017). Del románico al gótico en la arquitectura de Navarra: Monasterios, iglesias y palacios. Gobierno de Navarra

Location:
Vista aèria

The cathedral is located in the center of the city of Tudela