The Cathedral in Segovia is one of the most dominant buildings in the city. Not only does it have some amazing architectural designs, it is also steeped in history. I was a bit tempted to just include the Segovia cathedral as one of the things to do in the city and leave it at that but in retrospect, it would not do justice to the place that we fell in love with.
One of the things that happened purely out of coincidence was that our trip to Segovia was the day after we visited Toledo. Both impressive cities with amazing monuments. It was but natural that we started comparing the cathedral in Toledo to the one in Segovia.
Shawn said that he loved the one in Toledo. It was huge, had lots and lots to see and was pretty grandiose. I preferred the one in Segovia which is really big and has lots to see but it is a bit simpler and quieter.
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Location Of The Segovia Cathedral
The Segovia Cathedral dominates the skyline. You can see it from a distance as you approach the city. It can’t be seen from all directions though as the Alcazar of Segovia rises up on some sides.
The Segovia cathedral is located in the center of the city. It is pretty easy to reach and it is very very close to Plaza Mayor and a short walk away from the Alcazar of Segovia. The Aqueduct on the other hand is a bit of a walk away.
Tickets To The Segovia Cathedral
Cathedral + Episcopal Palace – 4 Euros
Guided visit to the Tower – 7 Euros
Guided visit to the Cathedral – 6 Euros
“A special monument, with a convenient audio guide downloadable via QR code”
Francesco (read more reviews now!)
Guided visit to the Cathedral and Tower – 10 Euros
Children under 8 years – Free
You don’t have to wait to buy your ticket in person. Buy your ticket online to save some time.
History Of The Segovia Cathedral
It is important to understand a bit about the history of the Segovia Cathedral to truly understand its magnificence. This cathedral was the last truly Gothic cathedral in the whole of Spain. Its construction was started in 1525.
Interestingly enough, this cathedral was not the first structure that was built on this very spot. A Romanesque cathedral held its spot. The cathedral burnt down in a fire in 1520. The then reigning king, Charles I and his advisors, decided to rebuild and he acquired a lot of ground around the burnt down cathedral for this purpose.
When you visit the art exhibit near the cloisters, you will see the remains of this Romanesque cathedral and the houses that were demolished to build it.
The new Segovia cathedral was built to tower over the city and was eventually consecrated only in 1768.
Points Of Interest In The Segovia Cathedral
The Choir
As soon as you enter the Segovia cathedral, you will find a large structure right in front of you. In fact, there are two. One is more prominent than the other because of the towering set of pipe organs that are placed within it. I would recommend entering here first. This is where the choir sat.
You will notice seats are set for the choir to sit. These are slightly raised so that they can have a clear view of the center where enormous books are placed. The pipe organs are placed on either side. This central location gave the choir a chance to use the acoustics of the church to its best. Remember back then they did not have mikes and speakers.
The Main Altar
You can see how intricate the altars in the Segovia Cathedral are.
A set of seats separates the choir from the main altar. I recommend walking through the pews and imagining the choir singing while the priest preached. Walk towards the ornate altar in front. You see that the altar is tall and rises up much higher than the height of the average man. It is currently cordoned off but you can still peak through the bars.
Once you are done admiring the altar, it is time to move on to the next part of the Segovia cathedral.
Chapel Of The Blessed Sacrament
This was one of my favorite parts of the Segovia cathedral. Pretty easy to miss because there is a door to this part. It remains closed so that the noise does not disturb the devout. Be mindful of this when you visit.
There are a number of pews that you can sit on and admire this part of the church. The altar is almost as beautiful as the main altar. There are a number of different religious artifacts in this room. To tell you the truth, even as a Catholic I run out of ways to describe the cathedral. There are so many different things to see in a single room that a few words don’t do justice to it!
The Numerous Chapels
Once you are done visiting the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, walk behind the main altar. You will see that there are a number of pretty chapels that exist. Each one is unique and dedicated to a different saint.
If the chapels look dark, don’t worry. The lights come on automatically the moment you step closer to the altar.
These chapels go all around the church which is pretty cool. I saw some really interesting artwork in some of them. Keep in mind that the artwork in this cathedral is some of the finest of its time. You will find the works of these artists in the Prado museum in Madrid too!
The Cloisters
We almost forgot to visit the cloisters. DON’T make this mistake. The cloisters are pretty and they house an art exhibit in the basement and an exhibit of tapestries too. They are both well worth seeing.
The Under Cloister Painting Hall
I highly recommend visiting the Under Cloister Painting hall. It has a few paintings on display but they are all extremely pretty and worth seeing.
We almost missed it. Luckily we stopped just in front of it for a short break.
As you can see, the Segovia cathedral is breathtaking. It is a fun place to spend some time wandering around because there is so much to see and do.
