The Cathedral of Málaga is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Málaga in Andalusia in southern Spain. It is in the Renaissance architectural tradition. The cathedral is located within the limits defined by a now missing portion of the medieval Moorish walls, the remains of which surround the nearby Alcazaba and the Castle of Gibralfaro. It was constructed between 1528 and 1782, following the plans drawn by Diego de Siloe; its interior is also in Renaissance style.
Description and history
The cathedral, built on a rectangular plan, is composed of a nave and two aisles, the former being wider, though having the same height as the aisles.
The façade, unlike the rest of the building, is in Baroque style and is divided into two levels; on the lower level are three arches, inside of which are portals separated by marble columns. Above the doors are medallions carved in stone; those of the lateral doors represent the patron saints of Málaga, Saint Cyriacus and Saint Paula, while that over the centre represents the Annunciation.
The north tower is 84 metres (276 ft) high, making this building the second-highest cathedral in Andalusia, after the Giralda of Seville. The south tower remains unfinished due to lack of funds.
To defray the enormous expenses of the work, the Crown, after the War of Succession, imposed an excise duty or tax on the ships that called in Málaga, demanding an amount for each arroba of weight that they embarked. In this way, throughout the entire 18th century and especially since 1776, when trade with America began to be liberated thanks to the work of the Unzaga, Gálvez and Molina families, the work progressed rapidly. At the end of the century the budgets to finish the work ran out as they were assigned by the king Carlos III through the brothers Ortega Monroy, canon and gentleman of His Majesty, and the rationer canon Tomás de Unzaga Amézaga to his brother the governor of Louisiana Luis de Unzaga y Amézaga brother-in-law of Bernardo de Gálvez to be sent as aid to the Americans who had risen against England to achieve their independence. The rest of the budget for port taxes was used to rehabilitate the roads of Vélez-Málaga, Antequera, bring water to Málaga through the aqueduct of San Telmo, the beginning of the road to Colmenar and Mount Pío of the 'Fellowship of Vinneros', mainly for widows, orphans of the militias that participated in the American Revolution.
A plaque at the base of the tower states that funds raised by the parish to finish it were used instead to help those British colonies which became the United States to gain their independence from Great Britain. Examinations of the parish registers indicate, however, that the money may have been used instead to renovate the roadway called the "Way of Antequera" (which began in the present street Calle Martinez Maldonado). This unfinished state has led to the cathedral being called "La Manquita", meaning in English, "The One-Armed Lady".
A series of grand artworks fills the sanctuary, among them are the Gothic altarpiece of the Chapel of Santa Barbara and the 16th century tombs of the Chapel of San Francisco. The Chapel of the Incarnation contains a neoclassic altarpiece (1785) designed by the sculptor Juan de Villanueva and carved by Antonio Ramos and Aldehuela, a group of figures representing the Annunciation and sculptures of the patron saints of Málaga, Saint Ciriaco and Saint Paula, carved by Juan Salazar Palomino also in the 18th century, and The Beheading of Saint Paul, painted by Enrique Simonet in 1887 during his stay in Rome.
In 2023, restoration works were undertaken to the Cathedral crypt, including tombs of the Count and Countess of Buenavista and the count and countess of Villalcazar de Sirga.
Music in the cathedral
Like Granada Cathedral, there is a pair of 18th-century organs. The organs of Malaga with their eye-catching trompetería (horizontal pipes) are more imposing.
Notable maestros de capilla of the cathedral include the composers Cristóbal de Morales in his last years (1551–1554), Esteban de Brito (Estêvão de Brito), Francisco Sanz, and (following the sudden death of Manuel Martínez Delgado who died before he could take the position) late baroque composers Juan Francés de Iribarren and Jayme Torrens.