Iglesia Santa Maria de Palacio, Logrono

Although it wouldn't be as spectacular a Church as the Concathedral, it boasts a Gothic structure and some beautiful baroque additions. Well worth a visit!

Beautiful church. Some elements of original Gothic interior survived but majority of altar pieces are baroque. Admission is free but any donation is welcomed and highly appreciated. Visitors are allowed to take non commercial photo without flash light.

It is the only church that preserves a cloister. Its origins go back to a previous church, Santa María la Vieja, founded by the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, whose remains appeared in the cloister patio. It has three naves, a transept and a triple apse, the central one with a straight front and the octagonal lateral ones, communicated with each other. The oldest part is the area of ​​the feet, which corresponds to the Romanesque works carried out at the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th. Above the central nave rises an octagonal lantern, known as "the Needle", which is one of the most significant elements of the city.

The Church receives this name because it was built on the base of a palace donated by Alfonso VII of Castile. It is also known as “La Aguja” or “La Imperial”. The temple was founded in the 11th century, but it was rebuilt in the 12th century, and it was enlarged in the 16th century. The church has three naves ending in apse chapels. The octagonal dome rises above the transept, which externally extends into the Gothic-style pyramidal tower. Inside, the main altarpiece stands out, the work of Arnao de Bruselas.

The Imperial Church of Santa María de Palacio is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Logroño and owes its name to the donation made by Alfonso VII of his palace in 1130, so that the first foundation of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher was erected. in the Kingdom of Castile. It is thanks to said sovereign that this church also holds the title of "imperial". Two construction stages can be distinguished in the current building. The earliest corresponds to the naves, the transept, the head and the dome of the temple, built between the second half of the 12th century and the first years of the 13th, following a late-Romanesque aesthetic. Subsequently, already in the Gothic style, the vaults and the spire were built between the 13th and 14th centuries, the latter being the most representative element of the church. It is shaped by an octagonal lantern on tubes that serve as a support for a stylized eight-sided arrow in the shape of a pyramid and divided into various zones by a series of friezes and imposts. The lower part presents on its eight faces projecting bodies in the form of dormer windows and in which pointed windows open. To highlight the outer edges with a decoration formed by crests of crochets and pinnacles. Inside, the main altarpiece stands out, the work of Arnao de Bruselas, as well as several highly relevant carvings, such as the Romanesque of Nuestra Señora de la Antigua, the Gothic of the Virgen del Ebro or an Immaculate Virgin of Flemish origin. It is also worth noting the choir, a work from the end of the 17th century, with 19-seat stalls with Corinthian columns, and the figures located in the central nave of San Bernabé, patron saint of Logroño and San Mateo, in whose honor they are celebrated Harvest Festivals.