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It was declared "insigne" by one of Pope Benedicto XIII´s
bulls, dated to 1727, and in August of 1959 it became Cathedral.
The towers were built in the 18 C. They consist of a smooth-ornamented
shaft with quadrangular section and round corners. Above
it is a belvedere with Tuscan pilasters and blind balustrade.
The tower is surmounted by an octagonal bell colt that contains
semicircular windows and oculi. A spire with two levels
crowns the construction. The main doorway is worthy of note.
It has a large stone retable, enclosed by a grille that
originally belonged to Santo Cristo´s chapel.
It is bordered by slender Corinthian columns, and was inspired
by the façades of the churches of San María
de Viana and San Esteban Protomártir, at Murillo
de Río Leza. It has three bodies and seven vertical
panels and is covered by a barrel vault that contains the
reliefs of the four Apostles, four Angels and the Padre
Eterno. The images are related to the alabaster figures
located on the sides of the back of the choir. The work
is surmounted by a broken pediment with volutes that join
the elements on the façade to a San Miguel on the
centre.
The side doorways were built around 1705.
They were created as small stone retables. The doorway next
to the Gospel side is dedicated to San Martín, and
the one next to the epistle is dedicated to the Annunciation
of the Virgin.
In its interior there are interesting elements, such as:
the choir stalls that include 24 high and 22 low stalls,
structured by Tuscan fluted pilasters; the major retable,
from the 17 C, that stands on a half-shaft bossage. It is
made up of one horizontal panel and one body with three
vertical panels and six spiral columns and as attic in the
manner of a portal. The retable is crowned by a bent pediment.
With respect to iconography, there is an interesting image
of Jose´s Tree, where the patroness Virgin stands
on a pedestal.
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