Cuenca Cathedral

Cuenca Cathedral Catedral de Santa María y San Julián de Cuenca
Façade of the cathedral
Basic information
Location	Cuenca, Spain
Affiliation	Catholic Church
Country	Spain
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Gothic , Romanesque, NeoGothic

Cuenca Cathedral is a Gothic church in the city of Cuenca in Cuenca Province in the Castile-La Mancha region of south-eastern central Spain. Expression of Norman Gothic from northern Europe, begun in 1196. The wife of King Alfonso VIII, Eleanor Plantagenet of England, daughter of King Henry II Plantagenet of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Duchess of Aquitaine, Sister of Richard the Lionheart, who inspired this cathedral. The influence of the Norman court of King Alfonso VIII, defined the construction of this cathedral, the first Gothic cathedral of Castile, together with that of Avila. Work began in the year 1196 and was completed in 1257.

The highlight of the building is that belongs to a very initial approach of the Gothic architecture, closely related to Anglo-Norman and French-Norman art of 12th century, as the Soissons Cathedral, Laon Cathedral and Notre Dame de Paris.

It has a Latin cross plan (that is, the arm of the cross reaching from the main entrance to the altar is considerably longer than the other arms) and a seven-sided polygonal apse. The main facade was restored following the original style, by Vicente Lampérez in the early twentieth century.

The cathedral is officially the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Gracia ("Basilica of Our Lady of Grace"). Unlike many other cathedrals in Spain, photography is not normally allowed in the interior.

On September 21, 1177, Alfonso VIII of Castile "The Noble" conquered the city of Cuenca and is constituted as bishopric seat in the year 1183. It was built on the ancient main Muslim mosque in the city.

The King Don Alfonso, made and ordered that the mosque that the Moors had, commanded the bishops who consecrate themselves ... and put his hand by the Virgin Mary that even if it had, and passed and moved the bishoprics of Valeria and Arcas and put the chair in the his city of Cuenca.