|
On its centre opens a portal with tetrastyle frontispiece
of coupled colums surmounted by Corinthian capitels, and
crowned with a pediment decorated with the shield of the
chapter.The balconies on the centre and the towers at the
sides form a majestic whole. The northern tower houses the
María bell,with a weight of 12 tons, the Spanish
biggest bell still in use.
The Cathedral has a cross-shaped ground
plan, with three naves along with two others containing
chapels. The central nave is the biggest. There is also
an ambulatory behind the chancel. The building reflects
a unity of style, with ribbed vaulting only complicated
with tercerons above the transept and apse.
Its interior is richly decorated.
There is a jasper font from the 19 C, with a panel illustrating
the baptism of Christ, from the 16 C. The Chapel of San
Juan Bautista contains the crucifix by Ancheta (1577) a
key piece in the Spanish Renaissance. The retable, from
1610, represents scenes in the life of saint Precursor.
Santa Cristina´s Chapel displays a retable dated around
1500 with a Gothic carving of the Crucified and panels representing
prophets from the Old Gospel. San Jose´s Chapel houses
a Baroque retable, from 1685. The ancient Chapel of San
Martín contains a Baroque retable, from 1642, with
a smaller one on its centre. This Italian retable from the
16 C contains a multitude of relics.
The Cathedral houses the royal tombs
of King Carlos III the Noble of Navarra and her queen, Leonor
de Trastamara, as well as their reclining figures. These
15C sculpture masterpieces were created by Jehan Lome de
Tournai between the years 1413 to 1419. The Gothic grille
closing the presbytery and choir, one of the first in its
style, was wrought in 1517 by Guillermo de Evernat.
|
