Albacete Monuments
Cathedral of San Juan
Bautista
One of the most noteworthy attractions to Albacete, and a building
no visitor should miss, is the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista.
Construction began in 1515, with an evident Gothic conception
although with countless details of the transition to the baroque.
The interesting thing to note about this Cathedral, however, was
that construction was not finished until the 20th century. More
than 400 years of construction allow visitors to view a veritable
treasure chest of architectural history. Worth noting are the
four large Renaissance columns, the remarkable vestry dating to
the 16th century, and the Chapel of the Virgin of Los Llanos,
with a very odd vault of intersecting ribs with a lantern. In
this chapel there is an interesting Renaissance altarpiece and
six panels by the Master of Albacete, a painter trained in Valencia
and connected with the famous Yáñez de Almedina.
The cathedral also houses other interesting works of art
like an anonymous panel from the 16th century that represents
the Trial of the Souls, a baroque panel of the Virgin of the Start
and a beautiful mannerist mostrance made in 1581. This church
became a cathedral when the Diocese was established in 1.949.
The tower was built in the first part of the 20th century, and
the bells were set in 1.948.
Monastery of the Encarnación
Another religious building that should not be missed on a visit
to Albacete is the Monastery of the Encarnación, from the
16th century, currently housing the Centro Cultural (Cultural
Center) of the city. This church still has a magnificent copper
ceiling with octagonal hollows and a two parts cloister.
The lodging house of the rosario
In Tinte Street, is the most noteworthy civil work and currently
houses the Tourism Office along with other local government offices.
This building has an odd construction of a mixture of styles:
Gothic, Renaissance and Mudejar.
During the 18th century, there were several mansions built in the Albacete. The only one these structures to survive is the house of Perona, which has a high dome over a tambour of glazed tiles, features from the eastern coast and a sober façade with shelters.
The modernism of the early 20th century appears
in different places and public buildings. The most characteristic
among them is the Pasaje de Lodares, between High Street and Tinte
Street. This building one of the most typical sites in the city.
Albacete guide
Albacete
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