The Diocese of Tarazona (Latin, Turiasonensis) is a Roman Catholic bishopric located in north-eastern Spain, in the provinces of Zaragoza, Soria, Navarre and La Rioja, forming part of the autonomous communities of Aragón, Castile-Leon, Navarre and La Rioja. The diocese forms part of the ecclesiastical province of Zaragoza, and is thus suffragan to the Archdiocese of Zaragoza. Episcopal see The city of Tarazona is situated on a commanding point, surrounded by a beautiful open plain, through which the river Queiles flows. Cathedral The Church of the Magdalene was the ancient cathedral, but the Moors, objecting to its prominent position, compelled them to use a church on the outskirts of the town. In the records left by Miguel this was variously called Santa Maria de la Hidria, de la Vega, or de la Huerta, on account of its position. It was endowed by Teresa Cajal, mother of Pedro de Atarés and wife of García Sánchez, and was begun in 1152. Architecturally, it is a combination of Byzantine and Gothic, with a high portico entrance and a high brick-trimmed tower. The centre nave with its pointed arches rises above the side aisles and merges into a spacious transept. In the windows Gothic gives place to Plateresque, but in the side chapels dedicated to St. Lawrence, St. Andrew, the Rosary, St. Peter, the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, the Annunciation, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, the Purification and St. James the Great, Gothic prevails in the reredos and tombs. Bishop Moncada attempted to rebuild the beautiful cloister which had been destroyed in the War of the Two Peters, but as late as 1529 this had not been completed. Other churches Besides the Church of the Magdalene, the Church of St. Michael, with its simple Gothic nave, and that of the Conception nuns, are also notable. The Church of St. Francis is said to have been founded by Saint Francis of Assisi himself in 1214, and Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros was consecrated archbishop of Toledo in the Chapel of La Piedad in 1495. The episcopal palace, the ancient Azuda, is built upon a commanding eminence and has a beautiful view. Bishop Pedro Pérez Calvillo purchased this from the Aragonese governor, Jordán Pérez de Urries, in 1386, and entailed it to the bishopric. The diocesan seminary, dedicated to St. Gaudiosus, was founded in 1593 by Bishop Pedro Cerbuna. It has recently been extensively renovated. Mention