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Basilica of Santa Maria

Castelló d'Empúries, Alt Empordà, Girona

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Basilica of Santa Maria

Monument · Castelló d'Empúries, Alt Empordà, Girona

The Basilica of Santa Maria, known as the “Cathedral of the Empordà”, stands in the Puig Salnes quarter of the old town of Castelló d'Empúries, capital of the county after the destruction of Ampurias, when the counts moved their residence there. It is considered the most important religious monument in the Gerona region after Gerona Cathedral. The current Gothic building, directed by the architect Ramon de Xartres, began construction in 1261 on an earlier Romanesque church consecrated in 1064, of which vestiges still remain, such as the first storeys of the bell tower. The structure was completed in the early 15th century, when the façade was raised with its marble portal and the alabaster altarpiece of the high altar was carved. It has a hall-church plan, with three naves, and in the 17th and 18th centuries two large side chapels were added.

Photo: Pere López Brosa (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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