Basilicas in Spain—Oviedo

I blogged about the following basilica on January 3, 2020.

• Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Savior in Oviedo.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Santander, Cantabria

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Santander.  It was initially built in the 12th Century on the site of a former monastery which in turn had been built on the site of the original Roman settlement.  It was built to contain the remains of some 3rd Century martyrs.  The Gothic church has been expanded and renovated over the centuries.  The church was heavily damaged by an explosion in 1893 and by a fire in 1941.  It was restored between 1942 and 1953.

 

Pictures with sources

Basilica of Our Lady of Covadonga, Covadonga, Principado de Asturias

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1901.

An 8th Century king built a church inside a cave that soon attracted pilgrims.  The church was destroyed by fire in 1777, and the current church was built between 1877 and 1901 to replace the earlier church.  The current Neo-Romanesque building is made of pink limestone.  

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last is from Wikipedia.

Royal Basilica of St. Isidore of Leon, Leon, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1942.

The church was built between the 10th and 12th Centuries on the site of an earlier monastery.  The church is primarily Romanesque but has elements of other styles.  St. Isidore is buried in the church.  It was enriched by various kings of Leon, some of whom are buried in the church.  In the early 19th Century, the French army used the church as a barracks and stables and then set the building on fire as they left.  It was restored in the early 20th Century but was occupied by troops during the Spanish civil war.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Ponferrada, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1958.

The church was built in different styles the 16th and 17th Centuries.  It houses an image of the Virgin of La Encina (Virgin of the Oak).  The image is said by some to have come from Jerusalem in 442 and was hidden in an oak tree during a Saracen invasion in the 8th Century.  Other evidence dates it to the 17th Century.

The first two pictures are from the basilica's website and the last is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady of Llanes, Llanes, Principada de Asturias

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

Construction of the Gothic church began in 1240 and continued until the 15th Century.

From Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, Cangas del Narcea, Principado de Asturias

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

In the 17th Century, a conflict arose in this town led by two prominent families.  One side wanted to keep the 500-year-old Romanesque church and the other side wanting to build a new church.  The second side won, and the current Baroque church was built between 1639 and 1642.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the third picture is from Wikipedia.

Basilica Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Gijon, Principado de Asturias

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

The church was completed in 1918 using neo-Gothic and modernist styles.  It was built by the Jesuits and has numerous symbols of the Catholic Faith seeking to inspire devotion to Our Lord.  It was used as a prison during the Spanish Civil War and is only 26 feet above sea level.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Road, La Virgen del Camino, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

The Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherd at this site in 1505 and a church was built for pilgrims. It was clear in the early 20th Century that a new church was needed.  So the Dominicans, who administered the church with the financial help of a former son of Leon who owned a successful brewery in Mexico (Modelo), built the current church.  The modern church was constructed between 1957 and 1961.  A walnut wood carving of Mary dates to the 16th Century.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Oviedo, Principado de Asturias

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2014.

The original parish church was built in the 12th Century in a Romanesque style.  This church deteriorated to the point that in 1882 it was demolished.  The current church was built between 1912 and 1915 predominantly in a neo-Romanesque style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilicas in Spain—Burgos

Basilica of Our Lady of the Miracles, Agreda, Castilla y Leon

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The stone church was built between 1554 and 1624 using Gothic and Renaissance styles.  The main altar is Baroque.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral of St. James the Apostle, Bilbao, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius VII in 1819.

The church is the cathedral for the Diocese of Bilbao.  Construction began on the church in 1397 to replace an earlier church.  Work continued until the early 16th Century and is primarily Gothic with some Renaissance elements.  The church has 15 chapels.  It was flooded in 1983 but has been restored. 

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Old Cathedral Basilica of St. Mary, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Gregory XVI in 1844.

The Gothic Basilica was the original cathedral for the Diocese of Vitoria (established in 1861) but was replaced in the 20th Century by a new cathedral.  Construction of the Basilica began in the early 13th Century and continued throughout the centuries.  It closed in 1994 for major renovations but appears to be open now.  Ken Follett, the British novelist, was inspired by this church in writing his book, “World Without End.”

Pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, Lekeitio, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1884.

The church was built in the late 15th Century in a Basque Gothic style, with Baroque elements (specifically the bell tower).  Its main altarpiece is especially noteworthy.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady, Bilbao, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1908.

The church was constructed between 1511 and 1621 mostly using the Gothic style.  It houses an image of Our Lady that predates the church.  The church was damaged by Napoleon’s army in 1808 (who murdered the parish’s priest) and during three civil wars in the 19th Century.

Pictures are from Flickr, Pinterest, and Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Aranzazu, Onati, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1921.

The Basilica houses an image of Our Blessed Mother who is said to have appeared in 1468 amidst some thorny bushes (aranzazu).  A number of churches were built here but were destroyed by war or fire.  The first Basilica was built between 1844 and 1846.  The current Basilica was built on top of the first Basilica, a portion of which became a crypt.  The current modern Basilica was built between 1950 and 1955.  The Franciscans have been in charge of the church since 1514.   

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Mary of Portugalete, Portugalete, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1951.

The Gothic-Renaissance Basilica was built between 1480 and 1580 to replace an earlier church.  The church was destroyed during an 1873 civil war and was rebuilt in the late 1800s.

The first picture is from a local source and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Elorrio, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1966.

The Gothic/Renaissance church was built between 1464 and 1506.  The Baroque tower was added in 1672.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last two are from Wikipedia.

Benedictine Monastery and Basilica of Santo Domingo de Silos, Santo Domingo de Silos, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The Basilica is the church for a 7th Century Benedictine abbey.  The current Romanesque church was built in the 18th Century.  The cloister dates to the 11th Century.  The library has 190,000 books.

Pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Mary, Durango, Pais Vasco

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2001.

The church was originally built in the 15th Century in a Gothic style, but by the time it was completed in the 16th Century, Baroque elements had been added.  The main altarpiece was built from 1578 to 1590 in a Romanist Renaissance style.  The church was badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 but was restored.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.