Description of the attraction
The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas is located in Alicante on the square that bears the name of the Abbot Penalva. The cathedral was erected on the site of a destroyed mosque between 1616 and 1662. This is a rather austere and restrained building, built in the style of the late Renaissance with elements of the early Baroque. The cathedral was erected and named after Saint Nicholas, who is considered the patron saint of Alicante.
In the plan, the building of the Cathedral has the shape of a Latin cross with alternating buttresses and chapels. The facade of the building was designed and supervised by the architect Juan de Herrera. Inside the church there is a beautiful chapel of the Holy Communion, recognized as one of the most striking examples of Spanish Baroque. The chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was created in the same style, with his holy image located in the center of the apse by Juan de Villanueva.
The internal space of the church, striking in size and spaciousness, is crowned with an incredible dome 45 meters high. The interior decoration abounds in marble and tiles of various colors.
Special attention should be paid to the magnificent gilded altar made by Nicholas Borras in 1574 and fenced with beautiful wrought-iron lattice work.
The cathedral houses sacred relics - the relics of Saints Felicita, Roch and Francis Javier.
The cathedral houses an organ dating from the 16th century, which is one of the oldest in Spain and is currently under reconstruction.
