Master Mateo's Pórtico de la Gloria, completed in 1188, is the crowning achievement of Romanesque sculpture in Spain — a triple-arched stone portico that served as the cathedral's main entrance before the Baroque facade was built in front of it. The central tympanum shows Christ in Majesty surrounded by the four Evangelists, with apostles and prophets arranged in the archivolts above. The figures have a vitality and individuality that was genuinely revolutionary for the period.
The polychrome that originally covered the entire portico has mostly faded, but traces of pigment were discovered during an extensive restoration that lasted from 2008 to 2018. The work is now protected behind glass panels to slow further deterioration. Entry is included with the cathedral museum ticket, which gives a closer view than the free entrance to the nave allows.