Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria

The Cathedral of Santa María de Vitoria is the medieval cathedral in the historic centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain’s Basque Country, commonly known as the Old Cathedral. The building dates from the medieval period and is a principal example of regional Gothic architecture.

Architectural highlights include a vaulted nave and choir, side chapels and a surviving cloister area that reflect its medieval parish and liturgical functions. Visitors also encounter a sequence of chapels and ecclesiastical furnishings accumulated over centuries.

The cathedral was the principal church of Vitoria during the Middle Ages and remained a focus of religious life even after later construction of a New Cathedral elsewhere in the city. It has been the subject of conservation and study to maintain its medieval fabric.

The cathedral sits within Vitoria-Gasteiz’s medieval core, surrounded by narrow streets and close to the city’s principal civic spaces and museums.

• Medieval origins: Originally constructed in the medieval period, it is commonly referred to as the Old Cathedral of Vitoria and forms part of the city's medieval quarter.
• Historic role: The building is the historic cathedral of Vitoria-Gasteiz and contrasts with the later New Cathedral built elsewhere in the city.

What to See #

• Nave and choir: The Gothic nave and choir date from the medieval period and retain original stonework, ribbed vaulting and a series of chapels along the aisles.
• Cloister and ancillary structures: A medieval cloister and adjoining ancillary spaces reflect the cathedral's role as a parish and community centre through the Middle Ages.
• Liturgical furnishings and art: The cathedral houses liturgical furnishings and religious art spanning the medieval and later periods, assembled in situ and in small displays within the church.