Plaza de la Catedral - Cadiz - Andalusia

The Plaza de la Catedral de Cádiz is a large urban square in the heart of the historic and traditional district of this city.

Located in the southern part, near the sea of Vendaval, which includes the entire dike known locally as "El Campo del Sur" , the Plaza de la Catedral opens directly in front of the old medieval city walls , the gate of its entrance , or Arc de la Rosa , still stands.

The construction of this beautiful square was the result of an important urban reform carried out in the city of Cádiz for the construction of its cathedral, the last of the great cathedrals in Spain , since such an important undertaking required the demolition of a large number of houses to build here , but the cathedral building and the square had to give him enough space for his vision and perspective.

This important operation of city reform began in 1721 and continued well into the 19th century.

The square is dominated by the great mass of the building of the "New Cathedral" of Cadiz (also separated by a few meters from the "Old Cathedral" , now known as the Church of the Holy Cross). The great Baroque facade of the cathedral designed by Vicente Acero dominates almost the entire southern facade of the square, for which it serves as a particular reference; Also on the pavement in front of it, the plan of the cathedral is 'drawn' to scale with pieces of white marble , which stand out prominently from the rest of the material.

At the foot of these buildings numerous bars and restaurants have their outdoor terraces creating a very attractive and lively space, particularly pleasant for a stopover en route or used directly as an exceptional meeting point, dotted with tall palm trees.

Willem Vandenameele