Construction began in the late 13th century and continued through the 14th, and the article gives no architect, client or materials. It was conceived as a fortress church and formed part of the city's defenses, which gives it a massive, enclosed look. The style is Gothic, on a Latin cross plan with a wide transept crossing and a circular apse with several chapels. The western portico has three richly sculpted portals, to the Virgin, San Gil, and the Final Judgement with Saint James.
It was a collegiate church from 1496 to 1861, when it became a cathedral. A partial vault collapse and major structural damage closed it to the public in 1994, and restoration has gone on since.
It is a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1931 and part of the Camino de Santiago UNESCO listing of 2015. The Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation runs guided tours.
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