Rear view of the polygonal apse with flying buttresses of the Gothic church of Santa Maria in Castro Urdiales
The image shows the imposing apse of the church of Santa Maria de la Asuncion seen from the rear garden. The Gothic structure rises majestically with its radial chapels arranged around the main apse, each covered by red tile roofs. The flying buttresses soar from the central tower to the external buttresses, creating that characteristic skeletal structure that allowed medieval builders to raise increasingly tall and luminous buildings. The large ogival windows with their stained glass testify to the search for light typical of Gothic architecture. In the foreground, a stretch of ancient walls delimits the grassy churchyard. The sandstone, worked by medieval master stonecutters, shows the signs of time and Atlantic climate. This church is considered one of the finest examples of maritime Gothic on the Cantabrian coast.
