Catedral de Nuestro Señor San Salvador - Jerez de la Frontera - Andalusia

The present church stands on part of the remains of the primitive Great Mosque of Jerez and the Old Church of El Salvador (also known as "Casa del Abad"), from the 12th century. The latter collapsed due to its dilapidated state.

It is a 17th century building that combines Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical styles.

The collegiate church was not elevated to a cathedral until 1980 .

The temple is a construction of Gothic structure, with five naves of unequal height supported on the outside by buttresses and flying buttresses, and a transept, topped by an ornate octagonal dome 40 meters above the ground.

The bell tower of Jerez Cathedral is separated from the main building a few meters . Its construction was probably carried out on the minaret of the city's old Muslim-era mosque. The dome that adorns the highest part of the tower is decorated with tiles in the colors of the city 's banner. In the bell tower there are 8 bells each with a name. The largest of them all is La Gorda, with a diameter of 137 cm and a weight of 1489 kg. Since 2019, after a major intervention in the structure of the tower and the restoration of the bells, it is possible to go up to enjoy one of the most impressive panoramic views of the city of Jerez and to see the bells up close. to observe.

Inside are some paintings and images of real artistic value , including the Cristo de la Viga, crucified late Gothic of the late 1920s and the Virgen Niña, by Francisco de Zurbarán, as well as the silver procession Monstrance, a 1951 work based on a design by Aurelio Gómez Millán. Likewise, there are sculptures of the apostles by José de Arce.

One of the most unique pieces in the building is a rattle , whose size and shape make it unique in all of Spain . It is a wooden box in the shape of a bell, equipped with several metal handles, which, when turned, strike two pieces of iron nailed to the wood. 12 This peculiar instrument was played only between Maundy Thursday and Maundy Saturday , as tradition forbade the ringing of bells during these days.

Willem Vandenameele