Exterior view

A rich and important Castilian town, Valladolid played a key role in the emergence of Baroque architecture in the Spanish empire. In 1561, a fire destroyed most of its centre, including the cathedral. Juan de Herrera, the court architect, received the commission for the reconstruction of the cathedral in 1580. Over the late Gothic foundations, Herrera erected a structure which was significant not only because of its classicism, but also because of the way in which the internal space was organized.

Because the construction of Valladolid Cathedral continued until late in the seventeenth century, the style, derived from El Escorial, became the standard for many other religious buildings throughout the Spanish empire.

The picture shows the fa�ade of the cathedral.