El Buen Pastor cathedral

Although nowadays the brutalist Atotxa Tower is the tallest building in San Sebastian, until 1973 that honour belonged to the Good Shepherd Cathedral. This is one of the buildings that shows best the quick expansion that the city experienced at the end of the XIX century.

El Buen Pastor Cathedral (which translates to The Good Shepherd) was inaugurated in 1897 after a harduous construction in which a marsh of the Urumea river had to be dried up, and it was made by the architect Manuel Echave. He was inspired by the Cathedral of Cologne, hence the acute verticality and the huge amount of decorative elements. This is quite different in the inside, pretty strapped-down, following the trend of the times. To be honest, it is striking at night.

This cathedral of San Sebastian was built in the golden age of San Sebastian under the reign of Maria Cristina. The capital of San Sebastian was crowned as a city with a high architectural value, creating several buildings such as casinos, theaters, squares and gardens, including buildings of great renown such as the Miramar Palace.

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd architectural style

This monument was built in the historic center of San Sebastian in a Neogothic style. The cathedral tower rises higher than 70 meters high, its shape very similar to the Gothic style, with a pointed or pin shape. This tower is visible throughout almost the entire city and is one of the main meeting points between citizens.

This ecclesiastical enclave has a large entrance door, accessible to all types of public. It has a large construction of almost 2000 square meters in the shape of a cross.

In addition to its construction style, there are other types of components that adorn the San Sebastian Cathedral, such as the typical glazed glass windows and the gargoyles or pinnacles throughout the entire monument. A cathedral with a very characteristic beauty that is among the mandatory plans to make in the capital of San Sebastian.

Nowadays it is still the tallest religious building in the region, and a very popular meeting point among the youth (who call it Buenpas or B. P.). It is surrounded by a beautiful gardened square, some shops and a jachkar (Armenian cross), a gift from the local Armenian community to the city.