Spain Guide
Euskal Herria: the País Vasco & Navarra
Catedral de Santa María
Address: Plaza de la Burullería
Opening time: Daily; exhibition 10.30am–2pm & 4.30–8pm; tours 11am–1pm & 5–7pm
Price: Exhibition free, tour €5
Telephone: 945 255 135
Website: www.catedralvitoria.com
At the heart of the old town, the venerable Catedral de Santa María is steadily undergoing a remarkable reconstruction process. You can tour the cathedral and witness the construction work up-close via guided tours (booking essential). These start at the northern side of the cathedral, off Plaza de la Burullería, where there's also a small but informative exhibition, accessible without prior booking (daily; free).
The tour takes you through the different periods of construction, beginning in the thirteenth century when the cathedral was an integral part of the town's defences, and explains how Renaissance attempts to remodel the heavy Gothic structure resulted in serious structural defects – one look at the severely twisted arches that hold the whole thing up may send you running for the exit. The fourteenth-century west doorway is superb, intricately and lovingly carved; seen from the level of the scaffolding, the faces of the saints appear distorted, since they were carved to be viewed from ground level.