Cathedral of Ourense

A Romanesque cathedral with a golden Pórtico del Paraíso modelled on Santiago's famous portico

Ourense's cathedral is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in Galicia, begun in the 12th century and completed with Gothic additions over the following two centuries. The exterior is relatively austere Romanesque granite; the interior is where the surprises are. The Capilla del Cristo, containing a venerated figure of Christ said to be of supernatural origin, draws pilgrims from across the region. The high altar is an elaborate Renaissance retablo behind gilded Gothic arches.

The Pórtico del Paraíso, the carved entrance screen at the west end of the nave, dates from the early 13th century and is one of the glories of Galician medieval art. Its polychrome sculpture — prophets, apostles, and a Christ in Majesty — retains a great deal of original paint, making it far more vivid than most comparable pieces. The cathedral museum holds further treasures including a fine gold monstrance.

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The Pórtico del Paraíso inside Ourense's cathedral is a direct artistic response to Santiago's famous Pórtico de la Gloria — built a few decades later by sculptors who had evidently seen it and decided to push the polychrome gilding further. While Santiago's portico has faded to stone, Ourense's retains much of its original paint, giving you a rare sense of how these medieval sculptures actually looked when they were new.

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