In reality,
Cuenca is two cities. One is the high quarter, or monumental Cuenca. The other, the low quarter, is the modern area that sprung up starting in the 19th century. The monumental area is a medieval city. For reasons of defense, it is located high up on a long, rugged promontory, between two rivers. The layout of the streets corresponds to the difficulties of the surroundings.
The arrangement reflects a city with no formal design that has adapted perfectly to the characteristics of its environment. Streets are found along two axes: one is longitudinal, forming a “linear spine” that starts in the low quarter at
Puente de la Trinidad (Trinidad Bridge) (the ancient Door of Huete) and continues up along
Calle Alfonso VIII and
Calle San Pedro (Alfonso VIII, San Pedro Streets), ending in the
Barrio del Castillo (Castle quarter). The other axis is transversal, uniting the
Puerta de Valencia (Door of Valencia) with that of
San Juan.
In the center of the longitudinal axis, we find
La Plaza Mayor (the Town Square), which is the main point of reference for every visit and tour of the city. The square is actually a triangle whose corners are marked by The Cathedral, The Convent of
Las Petras (18th century) and The Town Hall.
The Cathedral of Santa María de Gracia, a symbol of ecclesiastic power, was the first building whose construction was started following the conquest of the city, in the very spot where the ancient Moslem mosque had been located. According to Lampérez, architect of the façade, this is the clearest example of the Cuencan early Gothic style, and is considered to be the earliest example of the Gothic age in Spain. Its construction was begun at the end of the 12th century, and was consecrated in 1208 by Archbishop Ximénez de Rada, but was not finished until 1271.
This is a complex building with elements from the transition between the Romanesque and Gothic periods at the end of the 12th century, others from the 13th century, and still others from the 15th. It is laid out in the form of a Latin cross with a nave three sections wide, and a transept of just one section. The building’s influences have been argued extensively. For some, its six-sectioned vaults indicate a Cistercian influence; for others, the presence of a two-winged transept, dentils, and a square lantern tower, suggest an English influence.
The series of chapels that line the lateral naves were built in the 16th and 17th centuries, the most important being those of the Apostles, of the Holy Spirit, and of the Knights, as well as the noble rooms, like the sacristy and the chapel gallery. The cloisters are accessed by the unique
Arco de Jamete (Arch of Jamete). None of the four original towers remain, except the base of that of the Angel, a work from the first phase of construction. Be sure to notice the open nave, and also the
Transparente, a Baroque work by Ventura Rodríguez.
The collapse in 1902 of the Torre del Giraldillo (Giraldillo Tower) damaged the façade of the cathedral, and led to the construction of the current Neogothic façade. The last transformation was the installation of stained-glass windows by contemporary artists such as G. Torner, A. Bonifacio, H. Dechanet and G. Rueda.