Hello arch lovers!
Once again we continue the tour through that stupendous and elegant city in the north of Spain, in a bay of the Cantabrian Sea, Santander. And we have already visited a large part of its most emblematic areas and we have even been able to look at the facades of many peculiar houses with tradition and that looked directly at the sea from above. But on any trip there is something that we always visit, and that those of us who like art and architecture love to do, visiting the churches.
Because churches are part of the essence of many cities, they tell us a lot about their history, their culture, their beliefs, and even their habits. And we can also enjoy its beautiful finishes, its wonderful stained glass windows or even listen to the old organ with thousands of pipes.
We are lucky that we usually find more than one, we usually go to the important one, the cathedral, but there are always other nearby ones that also stand out for something, or have something to tell us... So we go to see several churches, of Catholic worship, in Santander.
And we started with the first one I found when local people made some suggestions, because it was close to me and it was possibly the one from which I heard bells.
Which from the outside, its entrance door was in an ordinary street and the building did not attract attention either. There were hardly any people but when I entered I was quite surprised by the front part, the decoration of the apse, because it said a lot about this place in general, here in this northern city a lot of wood was used, everything seems to be wood, and in the center a nice painting that attracts the eye because everything around it is not full of thousands of golden decorations, it is more sober. Here we discover that the style is more discreet but at the same time elegant and harmonious.
The same thing happened in another church in the center if possible.
Nothing stands out from the outside either, but I was curious when I opened the door. And there was a mass, it couldn't be disturbing, but again the wood stood out even more as a decorative element, even here everything is much more sober and concise.
But let's get to the important thing.
Very close to Paseo Pereda, can be seen when approaching that monumental amount of stone, large imposing facades welcome us while we have to climb hills and stairs to find the access door. Where do you enter?
We found the place, by the way, you have to pay. We find ourselves face to face not with the typical Latin cross plan, but with a patio, actually a serene cloister in which we were able to find interesting memories of the past carved in stone. And take a walk under the arches, until you find the door of the cathedral itself, and here, yes, there is much more gold on the main wall where my gaze is directed.
But I also look up, in churches you always have to look at the sky. And I see pointed arches typical of the Gothic, some stained glass windows, and all the golden decoration that rather reminds us of the Baroque style, much more ostentation, it will be because it is the city's cathedral. Ah, it could not be missing if we turn around the great organ that presides over the upper part.
Other details were different, we found an old wooden and wrought iron bench belonging to Opus (an ultra-conservative religious association that came to have a lot of power) and on the other hand a tomb of someone I could recognize, Menéndez Pelayo, a former writer, philologist and politician. who was even nominated for the Nobel Prize and from which there is now a famous university, Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP).
It may not be, honestly, the most impressive cathedral I've ever seen, because I've seen quite a few, but I think all these spaces are always special.
And also another special church that I was recommended to visit right there, because it is just below, it seems almost an annex to the cathedral.
In a door next to some restoration works we discovered perhaps the church that I liked the most there, the most original, due to its extraordinarily low ceiling.
A slight feeling of oppression from not being able to raise your head too high, quite the opposite of what churches tend to be, high naves supported by arches and columns. Here everything was flattened, but it had a charm that I had not seen before, precisely because of its unique structure and fascinating architecture. We were also lucky enough to see a Nativity Scene, and on the floor, some crystals that were already too opaque due to the use in which we had to get used to the idea that there were Roman ruins under there... that's what the restoration work there was also around outside. But for now nothing can be seen.
Now we return to another upper part of the city, we continue in the center, there are many in this area, to enter the most striking if possible.
Or of the Jesuits (a religious order with a lot of power, includingI use it now in the Vatican, since the current pope belongs to it), and the image of the founder Saint Ignatius of Loyola appears. And obviously the wonderful stained glass windows and the high Gothic arches stand out, a very Gothic style and at the same time striking, like many of its decorated and painted facades. Even on the outside, painted in a very soft yellow color, and with a monolith at its entrance, it already tells us a lot about what we later find inside.
And we ended up almost in the same area, without moving too much.
On a bright sunny day the outside, as almost always, it does not attract much attention, although it is beautiful, simple but elegant. Inside, there are people at that time but even so we could see more wood, and a large multiple altarpiece in its apse, although the style in general was more "Neo-Renaissance", more discreet than some of the previous ones. And when we leave, we look ahead, blinded by the sun, and further on we see again a part of the Cathedral that we have visited before.
In the end, visiting churches ends up being like a competition, choosing the one we like the most, the one with the most and best decorations or a most imposing façade. Or the one that inspires us the most to look around and above all, to look up towards the divine sky.
More about Santander and its surroundings soon!
More tours and more about these days in Santander, Spain, here:
The text is totally mine, by ©Duvinca
and all the photos are mine too!
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