Church of Santa María la Mayor, Gothic church in Talavera de la Reina, Spain.
The Church of Santa María la Mayor is a Gothic church in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, with three naves covered by ribbed vaults. The facade features a rose window built in Mudejar brickwork, which stands out clearly from the street.
This site once held a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter, part of the forum of the ancient city of Caesarobriga. After the region became Christian, a religious building was raised here and over time grew into the Gothic church seen today.
The church holds ceramic works from Talavera, including an altarpiece of Christ of the Sea made by Ruiz de Luna. Talavera has been known for its ceramic tradition for centuries, and these pieces are a good example of that craft.
The main entrance is on the front facade, where the Mudejar rose window is immediately visible from outside. Inside, the three naves are easy to walk through, though some side areas feel narrower than the central nave.
Fernando de Rojas, the author of La Celestina, one of the best-known works in Spanish literature, is buried in the Gothic cloister dating from the 15th century. Walking through the cloister means passing by the resting place of one of Spain's most read writers.
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