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The spectacular main façade, with its ranks of Corinthian columns and lavishly carved stonework, was built from 1739–54 by architect Jaime Bort. It overlooks the lovely Plaza del Cardenal Belluga.

The elaborate Gothic portal on the southern side of the cathedral is set in a sea of sculpture, including images of the four apostles and a cloud of angelic musicians. Queen Isabella’s coat of arms crowns the portal – she gave generously toward the cathedral’s construction.

Surmounted by an exquisite sculpture of the Virgin Mary with angels, the central doorway of the main façade was once reserved for royalty.

The sumptuous stalls in the Gothic choir are densely carved with biblical scenes.

The jewel of the cathedral is the Capilla de los Vélez, the magnificent late 15th-century burial place of the powerful Marquises of Vélez. Look out for the “noble savages” – a fashionable motif after Columbus’s voyage to the Americas.

This dazzling chapel (another aristocratic burial place) is the grandest expression of Renaissance architecture in Murcia. Adorned with graceful saints and Classical figures, it contains a shimmering 16th-century altarpiece topped by a beautiful relief.

Baroque at its most flamboyant, this extravagant doorway is in the form of a splendid triumphal arch, with columns and pedestals supporting a host of cherubs surmounted by the three Virtues.

The vast main altarpiece forms a golden wall behind the main altar. Two exquisite dragons protrude from the centre of the grille.

The newly expanded cathedral museum houses paintings, sculpture and ceremonial objects, including an extraordinary Baroque silver monstrance.

The delightful bell tower, with its Baroque frills and flounces, is an oddly harmonious mish-mash of styles.