We continue our guide to the most important religious buildings in Andalusia. Today we would like to introduce you to a unique, unfinished building that is located in Andalusia’s capital, Malaga. We would like to invite you to visit La Manquita!
The process of building Malaga Cathedral began in 1528 and took more than 250 years to complete, yet the building still remains unfinished. After the historic Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the Catholic kings ordered the construction of a great Christian temple that would be another symbol of triumph over the Arab population. The main architects responsible for the style and appearance of the cathedral were Diego de Siloé and Andrés de Vandelvira, and the Malaga Cathedral, originally in Gothic style, was transformed into a Renaissance building with Baroque details. Today it is the tallest building in Málaga and local zoning plans do not allow taller buildings.
A mixture of styles
The cathedral with the full name of Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica de la Encarnación (The Incarnation) is now one of the city’s most important monuments. The building is located in the old part of Málaga – on the site of a former mosque, the Aljama. It has its own gardens and a magnificent patio. Inside the cathedral, Renaissance and Baroque influences can be seen. When visiting its interiors, it is worth noting the beautiful choir stalls dating back to the 17th century, located in the nave of the cathedral. In addition, the sculptural work of Pedro de Mena is also impressive. Also of interest are the chapels, such as the Chapel of the Incarnation, from which the cathedral takes its name. According to the architects’ original plans, the cathedral was to have two towers, but due to unfinished construction, the whole process only stopped at the stage where the 84-metre-high north tower was built. Thus, La Manquita is the second largest cathedral in Andalusia, after the Girald bell tower located in Seville.
Why is the Cathedral unfinished?
The reasons for the cathedral’s non-completion continue to fascinate locals and tourists visiting Malaga to this day. Many versions circulate, with three dominating among them:
The budget is over
The first – and most trivial – is that the builders and architects of La Manquita simply went over their budget. There would be nothing unusual about this, as underestimating the cost of construction happens even in this day and age, but due to the economic downturn at the time, it was not possible to raise the funds to complete the building.
The money was earmarked for the construction of commercial roads
The second commonly circulating explanation states that the funds from the construction of the cathedral were used to build trade routes linking Malaga with Antequera and Velez-Malaga. Merchants travelling along this route were often attacked by bandits, with the result that they lost out financially and no longer wished to travel along this route. In order to solve their problem, it was decided to build trade routes – guaranteeing the safety of traders – and the construction of the cathedral suffered as a result.
The money was earmarked for the War of Independence
The last, and most interesting, version states that the money was used for the US War of Independence against England. During the fighting, the Americans struggled with a shortage of weapons and funding. They were helped by Bernardo de Galvez (a military commander, a man with close ties to the King of Spain), who supported them not only militarily, but also financially – which is what the money used to build the cathedral was allegedly used for.
Of all the stories, the one that seems most plausible is that the money was used to build trade roads. But was this really the case? We are unlikely to find out now. What we do know is that, at the moment, there are no plans for La Manquita to be completed.
Tour of the Cathedral
The building is located on Calle Molina Lario and is open to the public for tours. A very interesting option is to climb to its roof with a guide, from where a beautiful view of the entire capital of the Costa del Sol spreads. To get to the top of it, we have to climb as many as 200 stairs, while the tour must be booked in advance.
Opening hours:
- Monday to Friday: 10:00-18:45
- Saturdays: 10:00-15:30
- Sunday: not available
