Coria Cathedral

Coria Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Coria Cathedral stands on the edge of the old walled town of Coria, in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain, above the valley of the Alagón river, and a ticket is required for the cathedral and its museum. It is the seat of the Diocese of Coria-Cáceres, which it shares with the co-cathedral of Santa María in Cáceres. Coria is a quiet town, about an hour's drive north-west of Cáceres, and it is best reached by car.

Visitors often combine the cathedral with the town's Roman walls, the castle, the old bridge over the Alagón, which now stands in a field because the river changed course, and the Sierra de Gata villages. The town is known for the San Juan festival in June, with running of bulls in the streets. The cathedral is active, and visiting pauses during services. The views from the cathedral terrace are wide. Parking is available below the old town, and the walk up to the cathedral takes a few minutes.

Visiting Coria Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was built mainly in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the late Gothic style, on the site of an earlier church and a mosque, and it has a single wide nave, typical of Spanish Gothic of the period, with a star-ribbed vault. The north portal, the Puerta del Perdón, is carved in the Plateresque style, and the tall bell tower was rebuilt in the eighteenth century after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 damaged it. Inside, the cathedral holds a baroque altarpiece carved and gilded, carved choir stalls and a wrought iron grille. The cathedral is known for a relic, a tablecloth said to have been used at the Last Supper, displayed on special days. The cloister, from the fifteenth century, holds tombs, and the cathedral museum displays silverwork, paintings and religious objects.

The terrace behind the cathedral offers views over the valley and the medieval bridge. The cathedral's choir stalls are carved in walnut with figures of saints. The chapels along the nave hold tombs of bishops and nobles of Coria. The museum displays silver crosses, chalices and vestments. The Puerta del Perdón's carvings include the arms of the bishops who paid for it. The nave's star vault is one of the widest of its kind in Extremadura. The cathedral's organ, from the eighteenth century, has a painted case. The bell tower's upper storey offers views over the plain and the Sierra de Gata. The medieval walls near the cathedral are among the best preserved in the region.

Coria Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily except Mondays, with a break at lunchtime. Extremadura is very hot in summer, and spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. The San Juan festival, from 23 to 29 June, fills the town with celebrations and bull runs. Holy Week brings processions. Winter is cool and quiet. Allow about forty-five minutes for the cathedral and museum, and walk around the walls and down to the old bridge. The Sierra de Gata villages, such as San Martín de Trevejo, keep their own dialect and traditional architecture, about forty minutes' drive north.