Basilicas in Spain—Santiago de Compostela and Valladolid

Santiago de Compostela 

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

• Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St. James (the Greater), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Carmel, Lugo, Galicia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1896.

The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Lugo.  The Diocese was created in the 2nd Century so there were earlier cathedrals.  This church was built between 1129 and 1273 and uses several different architectural styles, although it is predominantly Romanesque.

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

Basilica of St. Mary Major, Pontevedra, Galicia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The Basilica was built in the 16th Century using Gothic and Renaissance styles.  The local seafarer’s guild helped finance the church.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, Mondonedo, Galicia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The Basilica is the co-cathedral of the Diocese of Mondonedo-Ferrol.  Monks established a monastery on the Bay of Biscay in the 800s but moved inland due to fear of raids by Vikings or Normans.  A new diocese was created in 866 and this church was built between 1219 and 1243 to be its cathedral.  It is mostly Romanesque but has Gothic and Baroque elements.  The altar is rococo.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Martin, Foz, Galicia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

The Romanesque church was built between the 9th and 12th Centuries.  It is considered to be the oldest existing cathedral in Spain as it was once the see of a diocese.  It was founded by a group of Christians from what is now England who were escaping the Anglo-Saxon invasion of their homeland.  The location of the church changed in the 9th Century due to invasions by Muslims and later Vikings.

The first picture is from Flickr and the others are from Wikipedia.

Co-Cathedral and Basilica of St. Mary, Vigo, Galicia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2020.

The Basilica is the co-cathedral of the Diocese of Tui-Vigo.  It was constructed between 1816 and 1834 to replace a Gothic church destroyed in an explosion.  This church is neo-classical with Baroque towers.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Valladolid

Old Cathedral and Basilica of St. Mary, Salamanca, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

This church was once the cathedral for the Diocese of Salamanca.  It was built between the early 12th Century and the late 14th Century using Romanesque and Gothic styles.  It was replaced as the cathedral in the early 18th Century.  Examinations for the University of Salamanca were once held in this church. One of the chapels has a working pipe organ that dates to the 14th Century making it one of the oldest in the world.

The first two pictures are from Flickr and the rest from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Teresa of Jesus, Alba de Tormes, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1870.

Construction of this church began in 1898 to house the remains of St. Teresa of Avila.  The neo-Gothic building was intended to be as large as 30,000 square meters, but work stopped in 2010 due to financial shortages.  About 10,000 square meters were completed at that time.  [I can’t explain why the church was designated a basilica in 1870 when construction did not begin until 1898.]

The first picture is from TripAdvisor and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica and National Shrine of the Great Promise, Valladolid, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1964.

The Baroque church was part of a Jesuit college built in the first decade of the 17th Century.  In 1733, a student heard Our Blessed Mother say to him "I will reign in Spain and with more veneration than in other places."  In 1933, the church was rededicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus under the current title.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Teresa of Jesus, Avila, Castilla y Leon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2022.

This Baroque church was built in the early 17th Century by the Discalced Carmelites.  It is located on what is thought to be the location of the birthplace of St. Teresa.  It has undergone several restorations.

Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.