Tui Cathedral Heritage

A Gothic jewel on the banks of the Minho River

The cathedral of Santa Maria de Tui is located on a hill with exceptional views over the river and the border town of Valença.

Tui is the seat of one of the five dioceses of Galicia and its prominent role in the history of the northwest of the peninsula has endowed it with an important architectural and cultural heritage, among which the cathedral of Santa María, the greatest exponent of its artistic wealth, stands out.

The town of Tui is the gateway to Galicia for the thousands of people who make the pilgrimage to Compostela on the Portuguese Way and the Portuguese Coastal Way, which enter through the international bridge from Portugal and then continue through the province of Pontevedra.

The construction of the only cathedral in As Rías Baixas began to take shape after the convulsive periods of Saracen and Norman invasions in the region. It was built in 1120 and the works lasted until 1180. Its privileged location allows it to dominate the impressive historic centre of Tui and from the tower of Soutomaior and its gardens you can enjoy exceptional views over the river Minho and the Portuguese city of Valença.

Its crenellated towers at the ends give it a defensive aspect which, together with the unique combination of architectural styles and the harmony of its Gothic cloister, led to its declaration as a site of cultural interest in 1931.

The ground plan of the church, in the form of a Latin cross, is fundamentally Romanesque, but the building underwent successive alterations and its construction incorporated the Gothic style under the patronage of King Ferdinand II. Its western façade, dated 1225, is considered the first Gothic work on the Iberian Peninsula.

Two Baroque organs In the central nave there are two enormous Baroque organs from the early 18th century, the work of Domingo Rodríguez de Pazos. The frames, which resemble the hull of a ship, are profusely decorated and the upper part of each of them bears the carving of the saint to whom they are dedicated: St. Telmo and St. James.

Inside the cathedral there are many elements that stand out on a historical and cultural level; the first is the altarpiece of La Expectación, but also the reliquary altar in the chapel of Las Reliquias, the chapel of the Santísimo and the marvellous cloister, the only one in the Gothic style preserved in Galician cathedrals.

The cathedral choir was in the main nave until 1954, when it was moved to the main chapel. It was built in 1699 by Francisco Castro Canseco.

The cloister deserves special attention during the visit, a space of great beauty and architectural harmony, as we have already mentioned. It was built in the first half of the 13th century following the Cistercian Gothic style, perhaps due to the influence of the neighbouring monastery of Santa María de Oia.

Around the cloister are exhibited pieces from archaeological excavations and from the old Romanesque choir, medieval sarcophagi, Visigothic laudas and old grilles from the cathedral. From this beautiful, well-lit space, where calm reigns, there is access to a small garden that acts as a balcony over the river Minho.

Cathedral Museum

The museum occupies the space of the chapel of Santa Catarina. The origin of the Cathedral Museum of Tui is the cathedral's treasure: pieces of liturgical use such as processional sceptres, chalices, sacred ornaments and numerous images. Of particular note is the monstrance of the seat made by the goldsmith Juan de Nápoles Mudarra in 1602; a polychrome wooden image of the Virgin and Child, known as the Patron Saint, dating from the late 14th century; a coconut ciborium from the 15th century; and a fragment of the primitive main altarpiece made of limestone, from 1520.

The Diocesan Museum also houses the only Inquisition sambenitos preserved in Spain. These valuable historical documents, restored and now hung together on one wall, correspond to specific people, heretics, prosecuted before the Inquisition Tribunal (17th century).