Leon and Around

Monday, May 11

Leon's cathedral, just half a block from our apartment, was the logical place to begin today's explorations.  In fact, it was so glorious, the day would have been worthwhile had it begun and ended there.

The cathedral was constructed as an effort to save face when Leon's status as regional capital was lost to nearby Burgos in the 13th century. Amazingly, this gorgeous Gothic creation took Leon's population of just 5000 only about 50 years to create.  The 13th and 16th century stained glass is mostly original and second only to Chartres in extent.  The movers and shakers of Leon may have been into comparisons with other cathedrals, but theirs can stand on its own merits.  It is soaring Gothic -- light and airy, nave, transept, and aisles reaching for the sky, rose windows at the four portals, and amazingly vibrant stained glass illuminating the entire space.  It was close to heavenly, and I guess that was the point -- and a bit of civic pride, as well!

The great Catalan architect, Antonio Gaudi, did little work outside Catalonia, but we were able to see two of his buildings today.  The Casa de Botines, now a bank building, is on the edge of Leon's old center, and, though we were unable to go inside, we did skirt its turreted exterior as we walked to the Basilica of St. Isidore, and its associated museum. 

The Basilica is an 11th-century Romanesque church, small, bulky, and mostly unadorned.  It's the museum next door that holds the eye-catching attractions.  A library full of ancient bibles, prayer books, and scholarly tomes (with a very rudimentary cataloging system), and an exhibit of bejeweled reliquaries and liturgical vessels are on display. The real "wow!" is a series of frescoes from the 11th and 12th centuries that depict the life of Christ and other biblical scenes.  They have never been restored or repainted and their colors are astonishingly deep and vivid. (NO FOTO)

Leon is an important stop on the Camino, and as we walked through the old town this morning, we saw pilgrims trooping along -- carrying backpacks dangling the scallop shell symbol of the pilgrimage, wearing floppy hats, swinging their walking sticks, and following the yellow arrows that mark their way.

After lunch, we reclaimed our car from a nearby garage and drove out to two more towns on the Camino.  Above Villafranca del Bierzo, near the town's old castle, we found the 12th-century Church of St. James (Santiago) and its "gate of forgiveness".  If pilgrims could only make it this far, and not all the way to Santiago, they could receive pardon for their sins.  Here, too, we saw pilgrims walking or just sitting in the shade, resting against the walls of the refugio, a hostel next to the church, that once offered medical care for journeying pilgrims.

Astorga is at the intersection of a couple of Camino routes and a trade route from Andalucía to northern Spain.  Though it is a small town, it boasts a fantastic Gaudi building, the Bishop's Palace, and a massive cathedral, both closed this Monday afternoon, and extensive city walls.  We walked around a bit, encountered more pilgrims, and then headed back to Leon for dinner at our apartment.