Spain - Guadix, Cathedral

The Cathedral of Guadix (Catedral de la Encarnación de Guadix) is a Roman Catholic cathedral. The baroque style building was under construction for a long period; it began in the 16th century and was completed in the mid-18th century.

Guadix is believed to be one of the oldest diocesan seats in Spain. The cathedral stands on the site of an earlier Visigoth church extant in the 10th century, upon which - during the period of Muslim domination - a mosque was built. Guadix was captured by the Christian forces in 1489 and the Visigoth church was reestablished as the official seat of a bishop. It was given the name of the “Church of Saint Mary of the Incarnation” (Iglesia de Santa María de la Encarnación) and later was made a cathedral by a bull of Pope Innocent VIII.