Cathedral of Santa María de la Huerta

The cathedral of Santa María de la Huerta stands in the lower district of Tarazona, on the right bank of the Queiles. It was built there, among market gardens and far from the medieval city, which is why it has its name. Work began in the mid-12th century and did not stop for centuries, so beneath a Gothic church of French influence there is Mudéjar brick, Renaissance painting and chapels from four different centuries. It has been a Site of Cultural Interest since 2002.

Thirty Years Closed

In 1984 the cathedral was closed to the public because of the poor condition of the fabric, except for a chapel for worship. During the restoration the choir was dismantled, the lantern tower was propped up and the trial pits brought to light a 4th-century building and remains of an earlier basilica beneath the floor. It reopened on 16 April 2011, and the restoration received the Europa Nostra and Europae Thesauri awards. Since May 2025 the chapter rooms can also be visited: the sacristy, the canons' vestry and the chapter house.

What Not to Miss

• The vault of the main chapel, painted in grisaille on a gold mosaic background by Alonso González between 1562 and 1564, with the ancestors of Christ, prophets and sibyls. Together with the paintings of the lantern tower, it has earned the nickname "Sistine Chapel of the Spanish Renaissance".
• The drum of the lantern tower, with pairs of nude figures representing the struggle of virtue and vice. They are grisailles from 1546 that survived because in the 19th century they were covered with a coat of paint.
• The Mudéjar cloister, with seven bays per gallery, with plaster lattices in the openings that face the courtyard.
• The ambulatory chapels. In that of Santa Catalina are the tombs of Bishop Pedro Pérez Calvillo and Cardinal Fernando Pérez Calvillo and an altarpiece painted by Juan de Leví; in that of the Purísima, a starry blue vault.

Independently or with a Guide

With the basic ticket (€6, reduced €5) you tour the church with an audioguide in Spanish, English or French, and the ticket is valid all day. The guided visit, an hour long, costs €9 (reduced €8) and tours the church, cloister and chapter rooms with explanation. The "all-inclusive" ticket, at €12, adds the guided tour and the Kiborion, the half-hour climb to vaults, terraces and lantern tower. Under-12s do not pay the basic ticket; on the guided tour, those aged 6 to 12 pay €3. The reduced price applies to young people aged 12 to 18, over-65s, large and single-parent families, and also if you buy several tickets to use within 48 hours, such as the one for the Episcopal Palace.

Tickets are bought in the Fundación Tarazona Monumental online shop; for queries, 976 64 17 89.

Winter Hours 2026-2027

They apply from 13 October 2026 until spring:

• Tuesday to Friday, from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 18:00. Guided tours at 11:15 and 16:45.
• Saturdays, from 10:00 to 19:00. Guided tours at 11:00, 12:30, 16:00 and 17:30.
• Sundays, from 10:00 to 18:00. Guided tours at 11:00, 12:30 and 16:00.
• Mondays, closed to individual visits; arranged groups only.

It closes on 1 and 6 January, 27 and 28 August, 5 October and 24, 25 and 31 December, and worship may change the visiting slots.

Before and After

From the Plaza de España you walk down in a few minutes, and the return to the upper town is uphill. Sunday fits with the cathedral, Kiborion and beech wood plan: city in the morning, lunch at Saboya 21 and the Moncayo in the afternoon.