This activity focuses cultural heritage, offering students the opportunity to explore Malaga Cathedral through direct observation and guided discovery. By getting involved directly on site, they gain a better understanding of its historical, artistic and cultural significance. 

Students take part in a guided tour of the exterior of Malaga Cathedral, or Santa Iglesia Catedral Basilica de la Encarnación, located in the heart of the city's historic centre. Through careful observation, they identify the main architectural features and examine how the different elements reflect the historical context and artistic influences of the period. 

The following were particularly observed and discussed :

•the history of the cathedral, built between the 16th and 18th centuries at the request of the Catholic Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, on the site of a former mosque within the old boundaries marked by the ancient Arab wall that surrounded the city, of which the orange tree courtyard remains
•its general structure: its size (84-metre-high tower, making it one of the tallest in Andalusia), its asymmetrical façade (as only the north tower has been completed), its portals, its marble columns, its medallions 
•the affectionate nickname given to the cathedral by the inhabitants of Malaga, which has become popular : ‘La Manquita’ because the south tower remains unfinished
•the patron saints (martyrs) of Malaga, Saint Cyriacus and Saint Paula, and the biblical scene depicted in the central medallion
•a synthesis of several styles : the Gothic-style layout of the building, the Renaissance-style façade and the Baroque elements. 

The visit ends with a group discussion, during which the students share what they have learnt and explain how the cathedral contributes to understanding Malaga's cultural and historical heritage. 

 

Through this experience, students strengthen their appreciation of heritage sites and their role in European history :  they develop knowledge about the context of its construction after the Reconquista and about architectural styles, and they put the monument into perspective with the historical and cultural values of Europe.

SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
SPM26 CAE Visit to the Cathedral
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