Cathedral and Church of El Cristo

The cathedral offers a key to imagining Santander before its major urban expansion. Its complex includes the lower Church of El Cristo, the upper church and the cloister. Look at the solid volumes and their raised position above the surroundings: this is a place to pause rather than rush past. Seeing the exterior is not the same as visiting the whole ensemble; interior spaces have their own admission arrangements. If worship is taking place, respect the quiet and leave room for worshippers. Afterwards, compare this architecture with the streets leading towards the bay and consider how often the city has changed.