Leon Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santa María de Regla de León is a Catholic temple of worship, episcopal seat of the diocese of León, Spain, consecrated under the invocation of the Virgin Mary. It was the first monument declared in Spain by Royal Order of August 28, 1844 (confirmed by Royal Order on September 24, 1845).

Beginning in the 13th century, it is one of the great works of the French-influenced Gothic style. Known by the nickname Pulchra leonina, which means "Beautiful Leonesa", it is located on the Camino de Santiago.

The cathedral of León is known above all for taking the “dematerialization” of Gothic art to the extreme, that is, the reduction of the walls to their minimum expression to be replaced by colored stained glass windows, constituting one of the largest collections of stained glass windows world medieval.

History

Previous builds

Roman baths

Originally, in the current location of the cathedral, the Legio VII Gemina had built some baths, larger than the current building. During the great restoration of the building that took place in the xix century, its remains were discovered under the cathedral, and in 1996 others were explored together to the south façade. Little remains of these primitive buildings, just a few vestiges of mosaics, tégulas and ceramics, today exhibited in the cathedral museum. Others, such as the hypocaust, still remain under the cathedral site.

An example of the many stained glass windows.

Ordoño II according to a medieval miniature of the Cathedral of León.

The primitive cathedral

During the Christian reconquest, the old Roman baths were converted into a royal palace. In the year 916 King Ordoño II, who had occupied the throne of León a few months before, defeated the Arabs in the battle of San Esteban de Gormaz. As a sign of thanks to God for the victory, he ceded the palace to him to build the first cathedral. Under the episcopate of Fruminio II, the building was transformed into a sacred place. The temple was guarded and governed by monks of the order of San Benito, and it is very likely that its structure was very similar to that of many others that existed during the Mozarabic period of Leon. Following the Christian tradition of burying inside the temples those who embodied the authority "coming from God", that simple cathedral was soon enriched with the remains of King Ordoño II, who died in Zamora in the year 924.

The chronicles speak of Almanzor passing through these lands at the end of the x century, devastating the city and destroying its temples. However, it seems that the damage caused to the cathedral building must have been immediately repaired, since King Alfonso V was crowned there in the year 999. After a succession of political revolts and harsh warfare, around the year 1067 the state of the cathedral was extremely poor. This would move King Fernando I of León, who, after transferring the remains of San Isidoro from Seville to León, "turned in favor of it". With this king, a peaceful era began, reaping great triumphs in the expansion of the Christian kingdom. It was the time of the flowering of Romanesque art.

The Romanesque cathedral

With the help of the Infanta Urraca de Zamora, the king's eldest daughter, construction began on a second cathedral, in accordance with the aspirations of the city, and in Romanesque style. It occupied the episcopal see Pelayo II. When the architect Demetrio de los Ríos, between 1884 and 1888, excavated the basement of the cathedral to replace the pavement and cement the pillars, he found part of the walls and fabric of that second cathedral. Through the plan that he himself drew, we can appreciate how everything was configured within the Gothic style: it was made of brick and masonry, with three naves ending in semicircular apses, the central one dedicated to Santa María, as in the previous church. A cloister was also built on the north side. This new church had considerable dimensions, measuring 60 meters in length and 40 meters in maximum width. Although all of it was executed within the international currents of Romanesque, contemplating what has survived from its statute we can find out that it had its native character, the horseshoe arch still being used, at least as a decorative form. It was consecrated on November 10, 1073 during the reign of Alfonso VI. Presumably the same stonemasons who were building the Basilica of San Isidoro de León worked there.

This cathedral stood until the end of the following century. When the last private king of León, Alfonso IX, accedes to the throne, an important social change, artistic creativity and cultural development takes place in the city and in the kingdom.

Construction of the Gothic cathedral

Interior of the cathedral of León.

The construction of the third cathedral began around the year 1205, but the construction problems of the foundations meant that the works were soon paralyzed, and the task was not resumed until the year 1255, under the pontificate of Bishop Martín Fernández y the support of King Alfonso X of Castile, this new cathedral being entirely Gothic in style.

The architect of the cathedral seems to have been the master Enrique, surely a native of France, who had previously worked on the cathedral of Burgos. It is evident that he knew the Gothic architectural form of the Ile de France. He died in the year 1277 and was replaced by the Spanish Juan Pérez. Bishop Martín Fernández also died in 1289, when the head of the temple was already open for worship. The fundamental structure of the cathedral was finished soon, in the year 1302, when Bishop Gonzalo Osorio opened the entire church to the faithful, although in the 14th century the cloister and the north tower would still be finished; the south tower was not completed until the second half of the 15th century. This promptness in finishing the works gives it a great unity of architectural style.

Main facade of the cathedral of León.

The cathedral of León is inspired by the plan of the cathedral of Reims (although this is smaller), which the maestro Enrique could well have known. Like most French cathedrals, that of León is built with a geometric module based on the triangle (ad triangulum), whose members are related to the square root of 3, to which the entirety responds. of its parts and of the whole. This aspect, like the plan, the elevations, and the decorative and symbolic repertoires make this cathedral an authentic trans-Pyrenean building, far removed from the Hispanic current, which has earned it the qualifications of "the most French of Spanish cathedrals" or that of Pulchra Leonina. If its plan features are related to Champagne Gothic, part of its elevations are closely linked to those of Saint Denis Cathedral, already within the current of radiant Gothic that can be seen in France after 1230; in fact it can be considered as a unique case of a building completely conceived and built within the Radiant Gothic outside of France during the 13th century. Geographically, it is not alien to that world either because, although it was built in the old capital of the Leonese kings, the city was one of the most important landmarks on the French Camino de Santiago, so named because it originated in France. The architectural composition of the portals of the west façade of the temple seems to be inspired by the portals of the transepts of Chartres Cathedral, while for the peculiar question of the location of the towers, separated from the central nave and outside the lateral ones, They have proposed antecedents such as the screen façades of English Gothic cathedrals, the solution of the transepts of the Saint Denis cathedral or more local ones, such as the west façade of the Santiago de Compostela cathedral before its important baroque reforms.

French influence is also the development of the presbytery, with the initial idea of placing the choir there according to their custom. Individual from Leon is the location of the cloister and the non-continuity of the five naves of the head in the body of the temple, where they are reduced to three.

As the most important characteristic feature, the Leonese cathedral enjoys reaching the summum of lighting of all Spanish cathedrals, with an immense space of stained glass windows, by reducing the supporting stone structure to the minimum possible, reaching thus technically surpassing the same French cathedrals.

The south side of the cathedral, from Puerta Obispo.

The problem was that a large part of the site rests on Roman remains, hypocausts from the ii century, which made it difficult to establish a good foundation for the pillars. The accumulation of humidity and the infiltration of water caused serious inconveniences to the teachers. On the other hand, most of the ashlars in the cathedral are of mediocre quality stone, of the limestone type, with little resistance to atmospheric agents. Furthermore, the subtlety of his style is a challenge to matter; the numerous supports are extremely fragile, the lines are reduced to a total purification, so that several architects of the time questioned whether such a project could be sustained. This almost improbable structure, together with the poor quality of the stone and the poor foundation, caused the x century to undergo constant interventions and restorations, turning the temple in the European paradigm of transformation, restoration and conservation interventions.

The Legend of the Mole

View of the northern part from the interior.

Above the door of San Juan, on the inside, hangs a skin, like a keel, which the Leonese tradition has always identified as an "evil mole". According to the legend, the mole destroyed what was built throughout the day during the night in the first moments of the great work of the temple. The people of León became impatient because the work on the promised cathedral was not progressing, they decided to put an end to that evil being that was not letting the work progress: some of them waited for him during the night and finished him off with clubs. In remembrance of that event and in gratitude to the Virgin Mary, head of the temple, the animal's skin was hung inside the cathedral, over the aforementioned door, on the west façade.

The reality that the legend hides is that the works of the cathedral of León encountered numerous foundation problems, on a very unstable ground that, by then, had already hosted many and diverse constructions. For its part, what we can see today in the semi-darkness over the already mentioned door of the cathedral temple, was shown during the 1990s to actually be a leatherback turtle shell, the origin of which is still uncertain, although it is presumed that it was a the offering made by some man of power to the cathedral, inserting such an element in the ancient tradition (key in the constitution of numerous museums) of collecting Antiques and Rarities.

South of the cathedral with its added baroque.

Look at the cathedral around 1850. You can appreciate the previous hastiales west and south and the baroque dome with its pilasters.

Time of reforms and construction problems

The extreme fragility of the building caused problems very soon. In the 15th century, the construction of hollow turrets by the master Justín in the southern area (the «queen's chair») and in the northern area («la limona») improved the thrust of the flying buttresses towards the head, but the fragile structure continued with problems. At that time, the master Justín finished the south tower in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The triangular finials of the north and south gables were also built. In the last years of the xv century, the construction of the Library (current chapel of Santiago) was also carried out by Juan de Badajoz, father and son, in flamboyant gothic style. The choir is also the work of this century, as well as the paintings by Nicolás Francés and the altarpiece.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Juan de Badajoz el Mozo built the top of the western gable in Plateresque style, excessively heavy and high. He also built a Plateresque sacristy for the cathedral, on the south-east side, and redid the cloister vaults. Inside the building he highlighted the construction of the retrochoir.

In the 17th century the problems resumed. In 1631 part of the central vault of the transept collapsed. The council turned to Juan de Naveda, architect of Felipe IV of Spain, who covered the transept with a large dome, breaking the counteracts of the Gothic system, so different from those of the Baroque. The excessive weight would cause the displacement of the radial loads towards the south gable due to the weakness of the main arches and the failure of the foundations. The lantern was provisionally closed in 1651, but by the end of the century some flaws were already being noticed in the dome that diverted its axis to the south. The broken south gable had to be rebuilt by Count Martínez in 1694, replacing the Gothic gable with a Baroque belfry.

Joaquín de Churriguera wanted to remedy these disasters by erecting four large pinnacles around the dome and on the transept pillars, at the beginning of the 18th century, but the consequences of this intervention would be disastrous. Great architects, such as Giacomo de Pavía, paraded through León, while the evils continued to worsen. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 shook the entire building, particularly affecting the mullions and stained glass windows. Large cracks opened up in the south façade, for which reason it was necessary to block up the clerestory, remove the rose window, and replace it with a double mullioned window.

In the year 1830 the rockslides on the south gable increased and, to save it, Fernando Sánchez Pertejo had to reinforce the buttresses of the entire façade.

The great restoration of the 19th century

Western facade in 1875, prior to its restoration and modification.

New southern facade rebuilt towards 1885.

Reconstruction of the western façade by 1890.

Plan of the western facade of the cathedral after and before the restorations of the centuryXIX.

In 1844, the poor condition of the building meant that the State had to resort to repairing it, the date on which the cathedral of León was declared a National Monument, the first of Spanish heritage. In 1849 the Jesuit P. Ibáñez designed and placed a new rose window for the south gable.

Shortly thereafter, the chapter feared a fatal outcome when, in 1857, stones began to fall again from the transept and the central nave, spreading fears of a total ruin of the cathedral, which spread throughout Spain and throughout Europe. Then the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando intervened, and the government commissioned Matías Laviña to carry out the works in 1859. However, he was unaware of the operation of the Gothic building as he had a classicist background. He dismantled the half orange dome and the four pinnacles that flanked it due to their excessive weight, and continued by dismantling the transept and the entire south façade. But the danger of a total collapse became more imminent. The criticisms that provoked his decisions led to his death in 1868.

After his death, Andrés Hernández Callejo, who intended to continue dismantling the building, took responsibility for the works, when he was removed from office. In 1868, the work was commissioned to Juan de Madrazo, a friend of Viollet-le-Duc, the great French restorer, undoubtedly the best restorer in Spain and a good connoisseur of French Gothic, who applied his theories. To contain the deterioration of the building and, at the same time, proceed to its reconstruction, Juan de Madrazo designed his admirable formwork system for the high vaults. The encimbrado was a very complex carpentry interlock, which served to sustain all the thrusts of the temple while the reconstruction of the entire disassembled south façade and transept was carried out. In addition, Madrazo notably modified the layout of the vaults, and redid the south façade from the arcade, taking inspiration from the north, including the lost rose window. The new triangular gable was also inspired by the existing one on the north façade. In general, he planned the entire temple as we find it today. The objective was to achieve the Pulchra Leonina, that is, the cathedral in its original state of pure Gothic, eliminating everything that would alter that purity. The most important moment took place in 1878, when the falsework was removed and the building resisted unchanged. The gothic balances had been restored. But the progressive character of Juan de Madrazo made him take sides in the serious social moments that were shaking Spain at the time (the Democratic or Revolutionary Six-year period), confronting the council, the bishop and the conservative society of Leon, who accused him of being a Freemason, Protestant and anti-Catholic, declaring himself a deist or atheist. When he was building the south gable and after having supported the entire cathedral with its amazing wooden formwork, which caused visits from technicians from all over Europe, he was dismissed in 1879, dying a few months later.

Juan de Madrazo was succeeded by Demetrio de los Ríos in 1880. Purist like the previous one, he continued to give the cathedral the primitive Gothic appearance, according to his rationalist thought, and dismantled the Plateresque western gable, which had It was made by Juan López de Rojas and Juan de Badajoz el Mozo in the 16th century, replacing it with a neo-Gothic design similar to the one recently built on the south façade. He would also finish rebuilding the vaults of the transept and the central nave, as well as introducing some new neo-Gothic designs, profiles and ornamental motifs in various parts of the building.

On his death, Juan Bautista Lázaro was appointed architect of the cathedral, who completed the architectural restoration work on most of the building. In 1895 he undertook the arduous task of rebuilding the stained glass windows. These had been disassembled and stored for several years, with serious deterioration. He was helped by his collaborator, Juan Crisóstomo Torbado. A medieval-style stained glass workshop was reopened for its restoration and the composition of new ones. It was also decided to isolate the cathedral from its closest urban environment to highlight its monumentality, which led to the disappearance of several annexed rooms, and its connection to the Episcopal Palace through the Bishop's Gate.

Finally, after the restoration was completed, in 1901 the cathedral was reopened for worship. It was no longer a building in danger, but had recovered its Gothic splendor, mainly with the replacement of the west and south gables and the removal of the baroque dome. In order to maintain the delicate balance, no arrow was ever allowed to be raised over the transept, despite the fact that there was a project in this regard. Today the cathedral of León is the most harmonious Gothic monument in Spain.

The great nineteenth-century restoration verified the recovery of the stability of a building that had suffered serious problems in its structure throughout the several centuries of its existence. It can be said that this restoration was one of the most complex and risky carried out in Europe in the 19th century. The meticulous calculations on the stability of the vaults, the prodigious carpentry systems armed at great heights and the stonework systems put into practice for the repair and reconstruction of the vaults of the Cathedral of León served as a model for the subsequent restoration of other great Spanish cathedrals., such as Seville or Burgos. But they were also an essential reference throughout Europe for restoring buildings that decades later would be seriously damaged in their structural skeleton as a result of war catastrophes. The high merit of these works was recognized at the time, since in 1881, Juan de Madrazo posthumously received the Gold Medal at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts for his restoration projects for the cathedral of León.

Restorations of the 20th and 21st centuries

Restoration work continued slightly into the 20th century, especially in the first decades. In the year 1911 Manuel Cárdenas would unfortunately destroy the Puerta del Obispo, a civil building that linked the cathedral with the Episcopal Palace. In the year 1930, Juan Crisóstomo Torbado would finish the exterior fence begun in 1794, closing the entire atrium. This architect would later undertake the restoration of the cloister.

In 1963, the architect Luis Menéndez Pidal redid the openwork rose on the triangular finish of the south gable, imitating the north one.

On May 27, 1966, a fire caused by a spark from lightning destroyed the entire roof of the tall buildings, although luckily the consequences were not serious; Thanks to the intervention of the master Andrés Seoane, the roof could be repaired.

In the last decades, great intensity has been worked on reinforcing the structures and on the treatment and cleaning of the stone with the most innovative techniques, in an effort to preserve this architectural marvel.

Since 2009, the restoration and consolidation of the stained glass windows are also being carried out, using the most modern techniques. Protection glass is used to close the openings and isothermal glazing to protect and preserve the window from atmospheric effects, as well as external protective metal mesh. The financing has been carried out by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Spain and by the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Castilla y León, through the cultural project “Catedral de León, the dream of light”. This project allowed a guided tour to learn about the restoration of the stained glass windows. The restoration work is not expected to be completed before 2021, with the last two years of the restoration being the ones that hide the main façade the most.

General characteristics

General Gothic

View of the cathedral of León illuminated from the highs of the Candamia.

In Gothic architecture, the use of pointed arches (or pointed arches) and ribbed vaults is generalized, thus concentrating the thrusts at certain points and not on the entire wall, which allows for more slender cathedrals (for one On the other hand, the arch can be lengthened without expanding its width as it happened in the Romanesque and it reduces the thrusts making lighter roofs, which allows the walls to be opened). The Romanesque gallery disappears and the lateral thrusts that it resolved are sent to the flying buttresses, arches that transmit the thrust of the roof to the outer buttresses, which used to be finished off with pinnacles. The large stained glass windows are a sample of the Gothic interest in communicating with the people. Likewise, the sensation of verticality corresponds to the idea of the celestial Jerusalem, in comparison with the sensation of welcome and security for the faithful created in the Romanesque. This type of construction used to have an odd number of naves (three or five) supported by a quadripartite, sexpartite, tercelete, fan or star-shaped ribbed vault.

The main façade was generally structured in three splayed openings, made up of archivolts and jambs and framed in a gable, a gallery of Old Testament kings, a large rose window (located in the central nave), an andito (space through the which accesses the façade to carry out possible reforms) and by two towers with different characteristics (topped or not with an arrow-shaped pinnacle).

Plant

The floor plan is almost a replica of the Reims cathedral, although in a somewhat smaller format. It has dimensions of 90 m long, 30 m high and 29 m wide. Divided into three naves, from the entrance to the transept, and five naves from the transept to the main altar. The cathedral presents macrocephaly, that is to say, a head that is larger than usual (the width of the transept in this case), which takes away some depth and perspective, but in return provides more space for the loyals; Because it is on the Camino de Santiago, its influx was greater than that of other temples. The naves of the cathedral of León are covered with a quadripartite ribbed vault in rectangular sections. The transept does so with a quadripartite vault, which replaced the baroque dome of the 17th century in the works undertaken at the end of the xix to be consistent with the rest of the build. Its walls have 125 windows, with 1,800 m² of polychrome stained glass windows of medieval origin, considered among the best in the world of their kind. Of these, the large central rose window located in the central portico, between the two needle towers, as well as those of the Main Chapel, the north transept and the Chapel of Santiago stand out.

Plant.

Portico de Nuestra Sra. The White. Portico de San Juan. Portico de San Francisco. San Juan Chapel. Ambulatory or spinal. Coro. Altar Mayor and Retablo. Door of Our Lady of the Dice. Santa Teresa Chapel. Cloister. Chapel of St. Nicholas. Countdown Chapel. San Andrés Chapel. Chapel of Santiago. Chapel of Our Lady of the Given. Transit Chapel. Birth Chapel. Conception Chapel. Chapel of the White Virgin. Consolation Chapel. Chapel of Christ. Carmen Chapel. San Francisco Chapel. Death gate. Sarmental Gate. Door of San Froilán or Queen.

Outside

Western facade of the cathedral with its night lighting.

Torres from Casa Botines.

Triple western portico of access to the temple.

Western façade

Facade

The western façade is the main one of the cathedral, and the one through which the temple is normally accessed. It consists of a triple ogival portico similar to that of the Reims cathedral. In the jambs, archivolts, tympanums and mullions of the portals, a sculptural work of prominent role in Spanish Gothic is developed, acting as a filter of French influence. Above the portico is the large central rose window, with stained glass windows from the late 13th century. The current neo-Gothic triangular gable was built by Demetrio de los Ríos at the end of the xix century during its restoration, the previous plateresque one of the xvi.

Rooks

The façade is flanked by two Gothic towers measuring 65 and 68 meters respectively. The fact that the towers are different, in shape and height, responds to different moments of construction and is quite typical of the Gothic. The north or bell tower was started in the 13th century and finished in the century. xiv, being more sober and solid, ending in a closed spire. The south or clock tower was also begun in the 13th century, but was not completed until the late xv, moment in which the teacher Justín gave it a finish. Its style is flamboyant Gothic, with an openwork spire, being less in keeping with the rest of the building than its companion. The towers of the cathedral of León present the particularity of being attached to the side naves, instead of emerging from them. This allows the curious view of the flying buttresses of the side naves from the western façade.

Covers

Portada de la Virgen Blanca o del Juicio Final.

Carried out in the second half of the 13th century, the richness of the portals of León Cathedral make it the greatest exponent of Gothic sculpture Spanish. The western triple portico is dedicated on the sides to San Francisco and San Juan Bautista, while the main portal represents the Last Judgment. The French influence is evident in this main doorway, made around the year 1270. Of this, the characters on the jambs and Our Lady La Blanca on the mullion stand out, today replaced by a copy executed by Andrés Seoane. The figures present the naturalism of the Gothic, which prevails over the Romanesque symbolism and hieraticism. The work of the folds in the clothes, the expression and individualization of the faces and the sensation of movement are the main characteristics. The model of Our Lady La Blanca or White Virgin stands out for its humanity, achieved in large part by the smile that is reminiscent of the Angel of the Annunciation in Reims Cathedral.

The left portal, or Saint John, shows on the tympanum the Cycle of the Nativity of Jesus: Visitation, Birth, Adoration of the Shepherds, Herod, Epiphany and Massacre of the Innocents, with a great sense of narration. In the archivolts there is an allusion to the tree of Jesse, in relation to the genealogy of Christ and stories related to the life of Saint John the Baptist, who gives the door its name. Between this cover and the next, appears the locus apellationis, the column before which justice was administered in the Kingdom of León, according to regulations that go back to the Fuero Juzgo and the Leonese jurisdiction of the year 1020, and which provokes the comparison of Alfonso X, sponsor of the temple, with the figure of King Solomon, represented in the background on the column.

The central doorway, called the White Virgin or the Last Judgment, is presided over by Christ the Judge who shows his stigmata, while the angels carry the instruments of his martyrdom and the Virgin and Saint John kneel as main intercessors. Beneath it and in the archivolts takes place the trial in which Saint Michael weighs the souls (psychostasis) and separates the blessed who go to paradise (including Alfonso X or Saint Francis, who appear with various musical instruments), from the damned. who suffer the torments of hell, who are devoured by demons or put into boiling cauldrons. In the archivolts there are scenes of the resurrection of the saints. The mullion of both doors is presided over by a reproduction of the "White Virgin" with the Child in her hands (the original is kept inside the temple, in the chapel of the same name), being the most representative sculpture of the cathedral and one of the highest quality Spanish Gothic. Next to the doors, there are sculptures of saints, evangelists and protagonists of the Old Testament. The sculpture of Santiago stands out (recognized by the shell of his hat) whose pedestal is worn, according to tradition, by the rubbing of the hands of the pilgrims as they pass through León on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

The doorway on the right, or Saint Francis, is dedicated to the Virgin, the tympanum recounting the death and coronation of Mary and the archivolts carrying various councils of angels, and on the outside, the five prudent virgins in front of the five fools The jambs house figures of several prophets of different chronology.

South façade

South of the cathedral.

Facade

It extends towards Puerta Obispo, facing south of the temple. It was the area that suffered the most from the construction problems of the cathedral, and it was rebuilt several times. In the 17th century, the clerestory was blinded, and a baroque gable in the form of a belfry was placed, and the xviii, after the Lisbon earthquake, its rose window was dismantled and replaced by a baroque double window. Fortunately, during the major restorations at the end of the xix century, Matías Laviña designed the current façade, building a new neo-Gothic rose window, clerestory and gable, imitating the façade north, which was never retouched. To the right of the large rose window we find the turret called «queen chair», made in the small-caps">15th century by the master Justín, which was used to collect the thrusts of the flying buttresses towards the head.

Cover of the sarmental on the south facade, San Froilán presides over the partridge.

Covers

The south portal also has three porticoes, in the style of French Gothic cathedrals, made between 1265 and 1275.

The left portal is the so-called «of death», due to the configuration that accompanies the heraldic sifting of Castilla y León. It does not have decoration on the eardrum, only on the archivolts and jambs. The name of Puerta de la Muerte comes from a figure of a skeleton with wings, placed in a later period on one of the corbels.

The central one, called “del Sarmental”, is very similar to the Puerta del Sarmental in Burgos Cathedral, representing Christ seated as Pantokrator showing the Book of the Law, and surrounded by the tetramorphs: the bull (Saint Luke)., the eagle (Saint John), the lion (Saint Mark) and the man (Saint Matthew). At their sides are seated evangelists, writing on desks. Angels and old men of the Apocalypse with musical instruments adorn the archivolts. The mullion is occupied by a statue of San Froilán.

The right doorway, called "of San Froilán", shows on its tympanum scenes from the saint's life, his death and the transfer of his relics to the Leonese cathedral. The archivolts are decorated with angels. This doorway was of great importance in the Middle Ages because the bishop entered through it, as it was located opposite the Episcopal Palace. In addition, it was also used by all the pilgrims who entered through a gate in the wall near the cathedral to visit the remains of the saint. She is currently blinded.

North façade

North view from the cloister.

Facade

The north façade of the cathedral is hardly visible because it is above the cloister, which prevents its full visibility, except from the cloister itself or from the heights of the city. It consists of a gable with a clerestory presided over by a large rose window with stained glass windows from the late xiii century. The triangular gable top and its openwork rose date from the 15th century, and were used as a model for the reconstruction of the gables on the south and west sides in restorations from the late xix century. To the left of the façade is another small turret, «la Limona», made in the 15th century to collect the thrust of the flying buttresses towards the head. This façade has not been touched up by major restorations, remaining unchanged since its construction.

Portada policromada de la Virgen del Dice on the north facade, which gives access to the cloister.

Covers

Central cover with the sculpture of the White Virgin at the beginning of the centuryXX..

Originally, as in previous cases, it consisted of a triple doorway, but it does not face the outside of the temple, but is covered by the access room to the cloister.

The left doorway was blinded and disappeared with the construction of the cloister.

The central doorway, called «de la Virgen del dado», was built in the last decade of the xiii century and still has most of its polychromy, from the 15th century. On the tympanum, a Christ blesses from the mystical almond held by the angels and flanked by the Evangelists. In the mullion appears the sculpture of the Virgen del Dado, named after the legend about a soldier who threw his dice, due to an adversity in the game, towards the face of the Child, who bled miraculously (in front of her is represented the miracle in a stained glass window). On the jambs appear Pablo, Pedro, Santiago, Mateo and the Annunciation to Mary.

The right portal is used as an entrance and exit to the room that leads to the cloister. The tympanum is not sculptural, but rather has a Gothic painting of the Virgin with Child. In the archivolts there are plant figures. It also preserves the polychromy.

Ships

The cathedral of León has three naves and a transept. The central nave is 90 meters long and 30 meters high, while the two side naves are 15 meters high, and are joined through the ambulatory. From the outside, all the buttresses, flying buttresses and pinnacles along the naves are perfectly visible, which serve to divert the thrust of the building to the outside and to be able to pierce the naves with large windows. There are also a large number of gargoyles, shaped like animals or mythical monsters, which were used to spit out the water that fell from the roof through the flying buttresses.

Abside of the cathedral of León, seen from the neighborhood of El Ejido.

On the outside, the most important thing is the replacement of the stone walls by the openings with stained glass windows. The two side naves are pierced with openings from the western façade to the transept, constituting the windows in the lower part of the building. The main nave is pierced with large windows that run through the entire building, including the transept and the apse, giving rise to the clerestory. Just below is the openwork clerestory that also runs through the building. This lightening of the walls is what gives rise to the so-called "dematerialization" of Gothic art. Some scrolls and ornaments that can be seen in the stone between the windows of the main nave are the work of restorations from the late xix century.

Apse

The apse is the oldest part of the cathedral, due to the fact that churches began to be built at the head to be able to worship before the final completion of the temple. The view of the cathedral from the apse is one of the most impressive, because it is in this area where the flying buttresses reach their greatest spectacularity. The flying buttresses divert the forces towards the outside, allowing the walls to be lightened, which can be pierced by large windows. During a large part of the year, the pinnacles of the apse of the Leonese cathedral are used as perches and nests by numerous storks. Some of them spend the winter in León.

Interior

Regarding its interior elevation, the cathedral follows the French model with three floors or registers. The first is that of the pointed arches with fascicular pillars, whose baquetones are inserted into the ribs of the vaults, creating an axis that marks the verticality of the interior. The second floor has a clerestory and the third is the clerestory, or set of stained glass windows.

Chorus

Coro on the central ship.

In León, also according to foreign custom, it was originally located at the head, in front of the main altar. In 1746 it was finally transferred to the center of the larger nave. The architect Cárdenas in 1915 would open the great central arch with enormous crystals that recover, in part, the old perspective of the central nave and the view of the main altar.

The current stalls, perhaps a substitute for a previous one, were made between 1461 and 1481 in the Gothic style in walnut wood. It is one of the oldest stalls in Spain. A first master Enrique, a carpenter who would plan the work, was succeeded by Juan de Malinas and the master Copín, image makers of the main carvings (fronts and backs). A rich cast of motifs brings together the usual characters from the Old Testament and the saints in the most visible places, contrasting them with various profane figures with a burlesque and costumbrist tone, in the Nordic fashion. The authors did not shy away from using clerical figures to satirize vices, in scathing scenes that sometimes reach obscenity.

Organ

Organ of the cathedral, divided into four sections on the sides of the choir.

The organ tradition in the cathedral of Leon dates back to the Middle Ages, as is common in European cathedrals. Heir to this long history is the current monumental organ, which is arranged in the four stands that are on the sides of the choir. This instrument was built by the organ company Johannes Klais in Bonn (Germany) and inaugurated on September 21, 2013. The conception and sound arrangement of the organ are the work of the French composer and organist Jean Guillou, while the design of the façades of tubes is due to the Leonese artist Paco Chamorro Pascual. The tubes corresponding to manual keyboards I and II are located in the two facing boxes on the east side of the choir, while between the two on the west side are the two sections of the expressive division (played from the III Keyboard) and the tubes of Keyboards IV and V. The organ has a total of 64 registers (including eleven registers per transmission) divided into five manual keyboards and one pedal. The transmissions of notes and registers are electric.

Its sound arrangement of registers is as follows:

• Goggles:
  • To the unison: I/II, III/I, III/II, IV/I, IV/II, IV/III, V/II, V/III, V/IV, I/P, II/P, III/P, IV/P, V/P
  • Eighth grave: I/II, III/II, III/III, V/II, V/P

Retrochorus

Firstly, an antechoir that looked at the faithful from the closed and inaccessible altar, was designed by Juan de Badajoz el Mozo in Plateresque style. The work would be finished between the years 1560 and 1590 in the middle of the counter-reformation, raising its size with lateral images and a great triumphal arch. Esteban Jordán carved the four alabaster reliefs with scenes of the Annunciation, Birth and Adoration.

High altar

Superior of the cathedral, surrounded by the apse stained glass windows.

The main altar or main chapel of the cathedral is currently occupied by a neo-Gothic altarpiece assembled by Juan Bautista Lázaro with five panels from the lost altarpiece made by Nicolás Francés in the middle of the century xv, and others of diverse origin (Palanquinos, etc). They represent the life of Saint Froilán, the transfer of the body of Santiago and the Presentation of the Virgin, in a mixture of International Gothic and Flemish Gothic styles. The side tables stand out, especially the Descent on the left.

On the altar, the chest of Saint Froilán, a masterpiece by the silversmith Enrique de Arfe (1519-1522) with some Baroque modifications. The altar is closed by a plateresque style gate, the work of Juan de Badajoz el Mozo.

Ambulatory and chapels

Girola of the cathedral.

Around the back of the main altar is the ambulatory or ambulatory. In the case of the cathedral of León, like many others on the Camino de Santiago, the ambulatory has a large space, to allow the passage of abundant pilgrims and avoid crowds. It consists of nine hexagonal-shaped chapels, arranged around the ambulatory, and delimited by bars. Each of these chapels is presided over by a double window with stained glass windows.

Carmel Chapel

Arranged in the south nave, just after the transept, and immediately before reaching the ambulatory. It houses the tomb of Bishop Rodrigo Álvarez and has a small altar.

Chapel of Christ

Also before the ambulatory, it is centered around a Renaissance altarpiece with Calvary, the work of Juan de Valmaseda (1524).

Original sculpture of the White Virgin in the chapel of the same name.

Chapel access to the sacristy

It is empty, it only allows access to the sacristy building, attached to the cathedral, and a Plateresque work by Juan de Badajoz el Mozo.

Chapel of Consolation

It preserves wall paintings from the 16th century.

Chapel of the White Virgin

It has kept the original image of the White Virgin since 1954. To the left of the sculpture is the tomb of Countess Sancha Muñiz, and to the right that of Alfonso de Valencia, son of the Infante Juan de Castilla el de Tarifa and grandson of Alfonso X, both from the 14th century. In front of this chapel, and just behind the main altar, is the tomb of Ordoño II, a work from the 13th century renovated with a tympanum in the xv. The two murals facing the ambulatory are also from this time, with themes of piety and Ecce Homo, the work of Nicolás Francés, who also painted a mural of the Last Judgment on the western wall, a work that was chipped at the beginning of the century xix for their nudes.

Chapel of the Conception

It is presided over by a Gothic virgin from the 14th century and houses Spanish-Flemish tables. Inside is the sepulcher of San Alvito.

Detail of the stained glass windows of the chapel of Santiago.

Chapel of the Nativity

Retablo of the Chapel of Birth.

It consists of a small altar and a model of a nativity scene, in the Flemish Gothic style of the 15th century. Said altarpiece was chosen to illustrate the lottery tenths of the Extraordinary Christmas Draw of the year 2016.

Chapel of Santiago

It is now outside the ambulatory, in the north aisle. Through here you can access the old Library or Chapel of Santiago (or that of the Virgen del Camino) and that of San Andrés, through the magnificent arch, respective works by Juan de Badajoz father and son. The work began in the final years of the 15th century and finished in the year 1504. The four windows with stained glass windows stand out.

Chapel of Saint Teresa

Located near the north arm of the transept, it has a carving from the Gregorio Fernández school. On the wall, a mural painting by Nicolás Francés from the year 1459, which represents the Martyrdom of San Sebastián, recently restored.

Cloister

View of the cathedral cloister.

The cathedral of León was designed without a cloister, but it was finally built between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the xiv. This construction covered the north entrance, which has been protected ever since. This cloister has a square floor plan 30 meters per side, has six intercolumnios per side and 24 pillars in total, responding to the proportions established in Cistercian cloisters. Various units are grouped around it, including the current Cathedral Museum.

The pointed arches and capitals of the interior wall present biblical scenes and daily life, showing again the dialogue between the divine and the human, typical of the Gothic. The murals between the arcades of the cloister were painted with episodes from the life of Christ by Nicolás Francés in the 60s of the xv century, although some of them They are the later work of Lorenzo de Ávila and others.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Juan de Badajoz el Mozo redid the vaults of the cloister. He took advantage of the canvases and the former arches and set up 28 complicated and decorated ribbed vaults. Phylacteries and medallions present a complex iconographic program, linked to the Virgin of Regla. Under the vaults you can see a very complete collection of tombs that reveal the stages of cathedral sculptural activity, but most of them are works from both the 13th century and the 13th century. 14th century.

In the center of the courtyard and in various places in the cloister, remains of the west and south gables remain, which were dismantled during restorations in the 19th century by the «purifying» architects of the cathedral.

Funeral sculpture

Sepulchre of Bishop Martin "the Zamorano".

Tomb of Don Martín "el Zamorano"

In the cloister and in the church itself, you can find a multitude of burials, some from the old Romanesque cathedral, and therefore, prior to the current building.

Tomb of Bishop Don Rodrigo

One of the most valuable is that of Don Rodrigo, a Leonese bishop who died in 1232. It is located on the south side, in the Carmen chapel, near the ambulatory. The recumbent is surrounded by clergymen officiating the funeral and a group of people crying. A calvary is represented on the eardrum. In front of the sarcophagus, the deceased's servants distribute bread to a group of poor people. This model of tomb had an extraordinary success, since two copies were made of it in the same cathedral and it spread outside of León.

Despite being one of the imitations of Don Rodrigo's, the masterpiece of funerary sculpture is the tomb of Don Martín "el Zamorano", who died in 1242, so named because he was bishop of Zamora. It is located on the north side of the transept, next to the entrance to the cloister. It is attributed to the Master of the White Virgin, of exceptional quality, reaching a level of expression and detail of the faces that is difficult to surpass. The general iconography is the same as that of Don Rodrigo, although unfortunately the Calvary is lost due to the corrosion of the stone, conserving only the figure of Saint John.

Tomb of Martín Fernández

The sepulcher in the south arm, symmetrical to the previous one, is also by the master of the Virgen Blanca. It is not known for sure who is buried there, perhaps it belongs to Munio Álvarez or his successor, Martín Fernández, bishop who started the cathedral. In favor of this hypothesis is the image of Saint Martin on one of the three eardrums. The others are occupied by a crucifixion and a scourging. The deterioration of this sepulcher is great, especially in the lower part, caused by the currents of water in the foundations of that part of the temple, due to the boilers of the ancient Roman baths in the subsoil.

Tomb of King Ordoño II

Tomb of Ordoño II, king of Leon.

Ordoño II, King of León, to whom we owe the construction of the first Leonese cathedral in the x century, has a colorful tomb in the trasaltar, just behind the main altar and in front of the Virgen Blanca chapel. Although most of the work is from the 15th century, the recumbent is from the 13th century , contemporary to the cathedral. He has a serene appearance and a wrong posture because some of his features seem more like an upright figure than a lying one.

In the chapel of the Virgen Blanca, there are two other tombs, on both sides of the sculpture of the Virgin. One of them contains the remains of the Infante Alfonso of Valencia, son of the Infante Juan de Castilla el de Tarifa and grandson of Alfonso X. In the other is the Countess Sancha Muñiz, both from the xiv. In both, the shape is that of a sarcophagus with the sculpture of the recumbent on top, both embedded in the wall of the chapel.

Also noteworthy are the various burials of bishops and prominent León figures in the cloister, from the 13th and xvi.

Painting

Mural of Nicholas French in the cloister.

Mural de Nicolás Francés in the chapel of Santa Teresa.

In the cathedral of León, the painting, perhaps displaced by the grandeur of the stained glass window, did not appear until the xv century. In this century, various masters emerge who make up a varied sample collection.

The oldest is that of the trasaltar that represents a piety with Italian influence. Very close to it is a mutilated Ecce Homo, a beautiful painting except for the Christ, painted to replace the old one because of the door that was opened in its place.

In the north arm of the transept there is a panel painted in tempera about the martyrdom of Saint Erasmus. The characters offer a peaceful appearance despite the brutality of the scene.

The work of Nicolás Francés

Of all the masters who worked in León during the xv century, Nicolás Francés stands out mainly, to the point of characterizing cathedral painting. He must have been born in France, (hence his name) but he came young to León, and here he worked until his death in 1468.

One of his most important works was the altarpiece of the main altar, a place where it remained for three hundred years, until in 1741 it was dismantled to be replaced by another baroque one, of enormous size, designed by Narciso Tomé, author of the transparent de the cathedral of Toledo, and elaborated by his cousin Gavilán Tomé and his father-in-law, José de Sierra. At the end of the xix century, restorers, Seeing that the baroque work threatened both the aesthetics of the temple and the structural elements of the apse, they dismantled it and sent it to the church of the Capuchin Fathers. In its place, one composed of the tables of the altarpiece by Nicolás Francés that was still preserved was placed on the main altar, and others of his from Palanquinos and from the church of Nuestra Señora del Mercado de León were added, especially the six small paintings with scenes from the life of the Virgin. From the church of Palanquinos are the two tables in the central part with the six apostles: Andrés, Juan and Pablo on one side and Pedro, Santiago and Tomás on the other. The preserved ones are dedicated to the Virgin, San Froilán and Santiago.

Another fundamental work of his are the mural paintings that decorate a large part of the walls of the Cloister. They were made around the 1460s, and of the twenty-nine that exist, more than twenty belong to the hand of Nicolás Francés. They represent scenes from the life of the Virgin and Christ, with agile drawing and great expressiveness. Exposure to the weather agents in the Cloister had deteriorated its polychrome, so they had to be restored at the end of the xix century by Juan Crisóstomo Torbado, recovering its original painting. Also noteworthy is the recently restored mural painting of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian in the chapel of Santa Teresa.

Stained Glass

Interior of the cathedral highlighting the stained glass windows.

The art of stained glass in the cathedral of León

The cathedral of León is known above all for its set of stained glass windows, perhaps the most important in the world together with that of the cathedral of Chartres. Most of the originals have been preserved, a rare fact in cathedrals of this time, they were built between the 13th and xvi. The technique of stained glass has its origin, it is believed, in the Muslim culture. It was taken from it by Christian art, which used them from the xi century to reach its peak two centuries later. In the 16th century it went into total decline, and later, with the loss of interest in the medieval, stained glass windows were removed from many temples. This, together with the fragility of glass, is the reason why so few collections are preserved.

In their heyday they were not seen as mere decorative elements, but were a fundamental part of the building. The flying buttress technique made it possible to practically eliminate the walls as a support element, so they could be perforated to open large windows, which, covered with stained glass, gave the temple a magical appearance. In this sense, the cathedral of León was one of the buildings that dedicated the most square meters to the creation of openings for stained glass windows in proportion to its size. In square meters they are distributed as follows: 464 meters in the lower part, 282 in the clerestory and 1,018 in the upper area, which makes a total of at least 1,764 square meters, according to measurements by Demetrio de los Ríos.. The complex has 134 windows and 3 large rose windows. This enormous surface becomes more important due to the contained dimensions of the cathedral.

However, it seems that between the 15th and 16th centuries > part of the lower windows (of which only the upper parts and the original roses were preserved) and the clerestory were bricked up to give the building greater consistency due to its construction problems, although these glazed areas were recovered in the restorations at the end of the 19th century 19th century by Demetrio de los Ríos and Juan Bautista Lázaro with the creation of new ones, using the medieval construction technique.

Claristorio, triforio and low windows of the cathedral of León.

Iconographic program

Despite everything, the original iconographic program is preserved, which was designed in a tripartite manner, based on the thinking of medieval society. The high windows or clerestory, consist of biblical scenes, representing heaven. The middle windows or clerestory, consist of noble and ecclesiastical shields, representing the nobility. The lower windows of the side naves consist of plant representations, representing the earth, and mundane tasks, representing men "pecheros".

In the high windows or clerestory, there is a different theme depending on whether it is the north or south side. The windows on the north side, which receive less light, have cooler tones and their Old Testament theme highlights that they have not yet known the light of Christ. Those on the southern side, brighter, represent the New Testament and have warmer colors.

The clerestory of León Cathedral is also pierced with exterior windows that include stained glass windows, bricked up during the Modern Age and recovered during restorations in the 19th century, at which time new stained glass windows were created that respected the original iconographic set, in this case, all the clerestory stained glass windows are representations of royal and noble coats of arms, as well as Spanish cities.

Constructive moments

View of the vines of the head and the southern cruise, with the sun projecting on them.

The style of the stained glass windows can be classified according to their construction moment. There would be three main eras:

Gothic stains

Made in the centuries xiii, xiv and xv. They are the vast majority of the cathedral's stained glass windows, highlighting above all those on the top. They were made with small pieces of colored glass that were composed and packed.

Renaissance windows

Made in the first half of the century xvi. Its style is very different, being more a glass painting than a composition, and also of great quality. Some of the chapels of the Girala and those of the chapel of Santiago stand out. During the later centuries, no new stained glass windows were made, due to the decay of this art, and the stained glass teachers were hard to keep the existing ones.

New Gothic stained glass

Made at the end of the century xix during the large restorations by medieval-style glass masters, imitating those of Gothic style. His work was so conscientious that it is very difficult to distinguish in plain view those made at this time to those made in medieval times. They correspond to most of the triphorium and the lower parts of the stained glass windows of the lateral ships, in addition to the rosette of the south. In addition, a great restoration of all the stained glass windows of the temple was made, deteriorated over the centuries, recommending the broken or lost glass.

Featured Stained Glass Windows

Western Rosemary at sunset.

It is believed that a stained glass window, called "the hunt", was not made for the building and came from a royal palace. It can be seen on the north wall of the central nave. It is the fifth large upper window starting at the foot of the church. Its name alludes to the different horsemen and armed men ready for the hunt that can be seen in it. In addition, it contains other scenes that represent some sciences, including alchemy, a medieval science that was believed to be related to the builders of cathedrals.

Along with the hunt, other stained glass windows from the 13th century, more or less restored, are scattered around the windows, highlighting the roses located in the windows of the apse chapels. Also noteworthy here, for its originality, is the stained glass window of Simon the Magician, with a profane theme. Also noteworthy are the appearances of kings in the windows, especially Alfonso X the Wise, in whose reign the cathedral began.

Of spectacular effect due to their brilliant blue tones are the taller windows in the central nave on the north side, especially above the choir, made at the turn of the century xiv.

Detail of two stained glass windows in the north.

Detail of the stained glass window of Simon the Magician.

The great western rose window was made in the late 13th century, and was extensively restored in the late xix. In its center, the Virgin appears with the Child, surrounded by twelve angels in turn succeeded by ornamental motifs.

In front of this large western rose window, on the other side of the church, in the center of the apse, stands the «tree of Jesse», made at the same time, representing the family tree of Christ.

The rose window on the north side is from the same period, although with additions from the 15th century. In the center appears Christ, surrounded by twelve forms of rays of light, in turn surrounded by twelve musicians.

The southern rose window was completed in its entirety at the end of the 19th century, due to the loss of the previous one due to changes in the façade. It is a copy of the thematic motifs on the north side, this time with the Virgin presiding over the center surrounded by rays of light and musicians.

Starting in the 16th century, the art of stained glass began to decline, becoming little more than painting on glass. The great restorations of the 19th century, leaving aside a certain lack of rigor, had the courage to temporarily revive the medieval technique of its elaboration, until then fallen into oblivion.

The day effect in the stained glass windows is also important, taking into account that the sun rises in the east (apse stained glass windows), illuminates the naves (during the day) and sets in the west (western rose window), therefore The incidence of light in the windows will vary depending on the time of day. The brightness of the stained glass windows can also change depending on the weather, with more light entering on the brightest days and less on the darkest or cloudiest days.

If the stained glass windows are signs objects to be admired as isolated units, their effect together with the ogival architecture makes this cathedral one of the most spiritual constructions ever designed.

Puerta Obispo Archaeological Crypt

Remains of the east gate of the Legio VII camp in the Bishop Gate crypt.

The current Gothic cathedral, having been built on the same site as the ancient Roman baths, primitive churches and even a Romanesque cathedral, has important archaeological remains of previous constructions in the subsoil. Inside the so-called Puerta Obispo archaeological crypt, located just in front of the south façade of the cathedral, important remains of the Legio VII Gemina camp are housed, which were found during archaeological excavations in 1996 during the pedestrianization of the area. of the cathedral.

The Bishop's Gate next to the cathedral, before its arrival.

The portal principalis sinistra and the medieval gate

The porta principalis sinistra was a Roman access gate to the Legio VII camp and was built with large limestone ashlars and flanked at both ends with two rectangular towers, 12.80 meters long by 5 meters wide, of which only the remains of the northernmost one are shown in the crypt, while the opposite lies under the street. This double entrance allowed access to the camp from the east. The transit was carried out through two separate passages at whose ends semicircular arches were opened. The exteriors were closed by double-leaf wooden doors. A similar construction, the porta principalis dextra, existed at the opposite end of the camp, where the Palacio de los Guzmanes is located today. Both would be linked by the via principalis, whose layout inherits the current Ancha street. At the end of the iii century or beginning of the iv century, reforms were carried out in the door, like the closure of one of the openings. Throughout the Middle Ages, the gate continued to function as access to the city, despite the disappearance of the baths and the construction of different churches in the area.

In the middle of the 13th century, with the construction of the Gothic cathedral, a civil Gothic-style gate was erected above the layout of the wall low imperial roman It was a “door-bridge”, with a solid masonry in its lower section and two bays in its upper part. It had a showy gallery dotted with mullioned windows, since its function was to allow transit from the episcopal palace to the cathedral. At the end of the 15th century this door had already been closed, which led to the opening of the so-called “carriage passage” attached to the episcopal palace and in use until the demolition in the years 1910-1911 of all the constructions that occupied the area, due to the search for a monumental isolationism of the cathedral from other annexed constructions.

Roman baths

Rests of the Legio VII thermal baths in the Bishop Gate crypt.

The first building that appeared inside the camp, as you crossed the gates and to the right of the via principalis were the large internal baths of Legio VII Gemina. An idea of their large proportions is given by the fact that they extended over a good part of the site currently occupied by the cathedral and even a good part of the current Plaza de Regla. According to the archaeologist García Marcos, if the Leonese baths are similar to those of Britannia and Germania, there is an assumption that they would have a basilica thermarum or an area dedicated to gymnastic exercises —with one, two or three naves —, instead of the open-air arena. The basilica thermarum would be located in the southern area of the cathedral (between the southern side and the gate). Unlike other Roman hypocausts, the one located on the northern side of the Gothic temple has groin vaults and walls made entirely of brick and not stone. Ángel Morillo, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, and one of the leading experts in Roman archeology in Spain, discovered pieces related to the cult of Mercury in the crypt of Puerta Obispo. Surely, the thermal complex on which the cathedral stands would once have a nymphaeum or sanctuary for the worship of nymphs and other healing divinities.

The first remains of this construction were discovered in the middle of the 19th century under the cathedral due to restoration works being carried out in the temple. Under the portico of the main façade we know of the existence of three hypocaust spaces, according to drawings made by the architect who made the discovery, Demetrio de los Ríos.

Associated with the thermal complex are the remains of the latrines that are housed in the archaeological crypt, which occupied one of the corners of the baths. This area underwent profound reforms throughout its long existence. At first there was a rectangular water tank, to which correspond the exterior hydraulic concrete walls and the paving of small bricks laid in a herringbone pattern (opus spicatum). Subsequent reforms led to the construction of masonry and brick walls, configuring some latrines from which we conserve the channels through which the wastewater flowed, attacking a small sewer in charge of evacuating it outside the camp.

As the initial date of the baths, the ii century AD has been proposed, taking as support an incised inscription dedicated to the Emperor Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) on a brick that was found at the site. The excavations at Puerta Obispo, in addition to confirming this dating, have determined that the thermal complex was still in use in the iv century. For its construction, a previous structure was used, possibly a pool or a deposit. They have also made it possible to establish two limits (east and south) of this imposing construction.

The size and construction quality of the Legion baths made King Ordoño I of Asturias place his palace there, after seizing the city from the Muslims in the year 856. Later, in 916, they were donated by King Ordoño II de León for the headquarters of the episcopal church of Santa María, using a part of the old Roman building as a royal pantheon, until this function was transferred in the times of Ramiro II de León to Palas de Rey.

Also, there are more remains of the Roman baths and the old Romanesque cathedral under the current cathedral. In the north is the so-called crypt of Menéndez Pidal, discovered by this historian and not open to the public, which would correspond to the caldarium of the baths, used as a burial chamber in the Middle Ages, where five graves.

Cathedral Museum and Archive