Co-Cathedral of Santa María

The Santa María Concathedral presides over the Plaza of Santa María and the most important religious monument in the city. It was built in the Gothic style between the 15th and 16th centuries on the remains of a previous Romanesque structure from the 13th century. It was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument. The doorways are Gothic although some have Romanesque touches.

The most notable aspect of the exterior is the high 3-chamber bell-tower visible from around the city and which you can visit via an interior stairwell (which I’d recommend since the views are incredible). In the Plaza of Santa María, there’s a bronze statue of San Pedro de Alcántara by the sculptor Pérez Comendador.

The distinction of Concathedral was awarded in 1957 when the Episcopal seat was shared with the Cathedral of Coria. It is now the most important Christian place of worship in Cáceres. It was built in the 13th century and finished between the 15th and 16th centuries. According to experts, it is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

During our visit, we could only see part of the Museum of Sacred Art and go up into the bell-tower via the spiral staircase. The rest was lamentably covered up since some important renovation work was underway. On the floor of the central chamber, you can see the inscriptions of old tombs and the famous Black Christ.