Salamanca New Cathedral

Salamanca's New Cathedral was begun in 1513 in Late Gothic style and took over two centuries to complete, so its facade transitions naturally from Gothic tracery into Renaissance detailing. As the seat of the Diocese of Salamanca it stands directly beside the much smaller 12th-century Old Cathedral, and both form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the historic city center. The building carries a well-known modern secret: during 1990s restoration work, craftsmen carved a small astronaut figure and an ice-cream-licking devil into the medieval stonework — a hidden signature that visitors now actively hunt along the west facade. The cathedral tower offers broad views across Salamanca's characteristic golden sandstone roofscape.