Catedral de Ávila
- Not step-free
Sign up free — See who's going and message them.
Is this your place? Get the badge for your websiteAbout
More photos 11
1 / 11
Why go
- One of Spain’s earliest Gothic cathedrals, alongside Cuenca Cathedral.
- Its choir, ring of chapels and double ambulatory draw on the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 21:00Show all
Don't miss
- El CimorroThe battlemented apse forms a tower in the city wall; granite fortifications were added in 1595.At the city wall beside Puerta de los Leales.
- Main altarpiecePedro Berruguete began it in 1499, designed it and painted its predella; Juan de Borgoña painted the remaining scenes.
- Tomb of El TostadoVasco de la Zarza’s alabaster panel contains the tomb of bishop Alonso de Madrigal.Behind the main altar.
- Processional monstranceJuan de Arphe y Villafañe made this six-part work in 1571; its main theme is the Sacrifice of Isaac.Cathedral museum in the sacristies.
- Retrochoir reliefsFive scenes from Jesus’s childhood carved in high relief by Lucas Giraldo and Juan Rodríguez.Retrochoir.
- Stained glassLook for 15th–16th-century glass in the ambulatory, main chapel, presbytery and transept. The central upper window of the main chapel dates to the 14th century.Ambulatory, main chapel, presbytery and transept.
- El Greco portraitA portrait of Don Garci Báñez de Muxica by El Greco.Cathedral museum in the sacristies.
Know before you go
- Monday–Friday: 10:00–20:00; Saturday: 10:00–21:00; Sunday: 11:45–19:30.
- Buy tickets online through the cathedral’s website.
- Visits to Casa del Campanero are temporarily suspended while the cathedral towers are being restored.
Tips for your visit
- The visit route includes the nave, chapels, cloister, choir and chapter room.
- In the cloister, most large windows reflect restoration in 1980; glass screens were installed in 2004.
With kids
- Children’s audio guides have specially designed content in Spanish, English, French and Italian.
Interesting facts5
-
The apse’s red-veined sandstone comes from the Amblés valley; its iron oxide gives Piedra Sangrante its name.
Historia – Catedral de Ávila -
28 metres
The central nave is 28 metres high and 10 metres wide.
Historia – Catedral de Ávila -
Two sculptures called Gog and Magog stand in the doorway jambs.
Catedral de Ávila - Wikipedia -
1514
Vasco de la Zarza made the alabaster baptismal font in 1514–1516.
Ávila Cathedral - Wikipedia -
The cathedral holds 15th-century choir books.
Catedral de Ávila – Santa Apostólica Iglesia Catedral de el Salvador de Ávila
Shorts
History
The cathedral’s origins are disputed: one account dates its beginning to 1091 under Alvar García, while most historians credit the 12th-century master Giral Fruchel. Later additions introduced Classicist and Baroque styles, with work continuing through the 17th century.
- 12th c.Maestro Fruchel is credited with the cathedral’s oldest part, the apse.
- late 13th–mid-14th c.Builders remodeled the transept and completed the cloister, sacristies and upper walls of the central nave.
- 1470sThe western portal moved to the north side around 1470; Juan Guas built the mechanical clock in 1475.
- 1536Work began on the walnut choir stalls, based on designs by Cornielles de Holanda; completion took eleven years.
- 1595Construction began on the Capilla de San Segundo.
Show all
- 18th c.Builders added support arches and reinforced the crossing piers to address structural problems.
- 1914Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument on 31 October.
- 1950sBell-ringing families lived in the tower house for centuries. A pulley raised provisions and lowered waste; the last bell-ringers left in the 1950s.
- 2014Adolfo Suárez and his wife, Amparo Illana, were buried inside the cathedral.
Sources: Ávila Cathedral - Wikipedia · Catedral de Ávila – Santa Apostólica Iglesia Ca… · Historia – Catedral de Ávila · Visita – Catedral de Ávila · Kathedrale von Ávila - Wikipedia · Catedral de Ávila - Wikipedia · Cathédrale d'Ávila - Wikipedia · checked 29 Sep 2026
- Website
- catedralavila.es/
- Phone
- +34920211641
Questions and answers
What does Fortior Abulensis refer to?
It is the cathedral’s nickname, reflecting its fortress character.
Who made the alabaster altars of Saint Secundus and Saint Catherine?
Vasco de la Zarza made them in the first half of the 16th century.
How old is the organ at Catedral de Ávila?
Leandro Garcimartín built it in the late 18th century; it has changed little since.
Which historian is buried at Catedral de Ávila?
Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz, who led the Spanish Republic in exile.
Why was the Romanesque gallery above the ambulatory removed?
It was removed to bring more light into the apse.
- See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
- Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
- Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.