Spain: Get me to the church

From the floor of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona. Photo / Getty Images

If you skip Spain's churches and mosques, you do yourself an injustice, writes Frances Cook.

There's a slightly derogatory term for the church-hopping part of tourism; ABC, ABC.

Another Bloody Country, Another Bloody Cathedral.

Those who say it may have a point, but it would be a mistake to apply it to Spain.

The country has a complicated religious history. It's deeply Catholic in the present day, but has a history that includes periods of Islamic rule, including becoming one of the great Muslim civilisations in the 10th century.

If you skip the cathedrals and mosques in Spain, you're also going to skip any real understanding of the country's politics and history.

Besides, depending on whose list you follow, Spain has 91 cathedrals throughout the country. Good luck avoiding all of them.

It's important to know your ABCs, so here are my entirely personal top picks from my latest trip through Spain.

THE FUNNIEST

The New Cathedral of Salamanca

Salamanca has two cathedrals, but the New Cathedral stands out for the unusual carvings. On the outside of a building built in the 1500s, there's a rabbit that gets rubbed for good luck (fair enough), a dragon eating an icecream cone (getting odder) and then ... an astronaut?

No, it's not a sign of aliens visiting and sharing their knowledge with our ancestors, as some conspiracy theories would have you believe. When the cathedral was restored in 1992, one of the stonemasons added a flourish through the astronaut carving. It's proved controversial, but is a point of difference that attracts visitors. I loved the whimsy.

THE MOST UNUSUAL

Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba

No building better captures Spain's complicated religious history than the stunning building that is both a mosque and a cathedral.

Inside the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba Spain. Photo / Frances Cook

The Great Mosque was first built around the 700s, but when the Catholics took over from Muslims, the centre of the mosque was taken out and a Catholic altar was put in. The building holds on to the most important parts for both religions: the mosque faces Mecca, while the Catholic altar is at the centre.

The building is one of the oldest in the world, surviving earthquakes, war, and Catholic conversion. It's still used in current times for Catholic mass. But you don't need to be particularly religious to appreciate the place of joint worship. It's a rare thing to see Islamic decorated arches, with Mary and Jesus carved above them.

THE HOLIEST

Santa Maria de Montserrat

Montserrat is technically an abbey and monastery but it's impressive all the same.

Whereas many other cathedrals can awe with their history, size, or decoration, the monastery nestled into the side of the mountain of Montserrat still feels truly holy, thanks to its hushed atmosphere and the monks and pilgrims who dedicate their lives to their faith.

One of the biggest draws of the monastery is the famous Black Madonna. You'll need to wait in line to see her, alongside both pilgrims and fellow tourists. Legend holds that the entire monastery was built around the statue.

Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey is a Benedictine abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat, in Monistrol de Montserrat, in Catalonia, Spain. Photo / Getty Images

Outside you'll find the monastery is still deeply connected to its local community, with locals selling honey, sheep's cheese, and fig bread.

THE MOST ARTISTIC

The Sagrada Familia Basilica

Gaudi's masterpiece sums up the artistic flair of Barcelona, even though it's still incomplete. He worked on the church for more than 40 years until his death in 1926, and left plans for how it should be completed.

That the work still continues, doesn't stop more than three million people flocking to it every year. The combination of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles make it one of a kind and when the spires are completed, it's expected to be the tallest church building in the world.

But more than the imposing size, it's the attention to detail that will floor you.

Ornamentation is everywhere and none of the interior surfaces are flat, with even the iron railings on balconies full of elaborate curves. It's art first, and function second.

THE BEST POP CULTURE REFERENCE

'Holy Toledo Batman!' No it's not just a saying, it's actually a reference to a city in Spain that is uniquely important to three major religions: Christian, Muslim, and Jewish.

The city is crammed with reminders of how these three different communities peacefully coexisted throughout the Middle Ages, giving Toledo the unofficial tagline of "the city of three cultures". Its Gothic cathedral is considered one of the best in Spain, but don't miss the mosques and synagogues either.

Or you could just run around and entertain yourself by yelling about Batman. Up to you.

The Black Madonna at the Santa Maria de Montserrat, Montserrat, Spain. Photo / Frances Cook

CHECKLIST

Getting there
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