STAGE 19 - LA CATEDRAL DE LEóN

 The truth be known, there is too much in León to talk about. I have already shared with you some insights regarding the Basílica de San Isidoro. In this post I would like to talk briefly (ha, ha, ha!) about the Catedral de León...

The place where the Catedral now stands has a long and varied history. In the second century the Roman Legio VII had constructed thermal baths and other public buildings. Today, nothing remains of these primitive buildings except for some walls and mosaics that are accessible via a ground-level door built into the south plaza. Other evidences of the Roman constructions, such as the hypocausts, that still remain are under the cathedral site and are inaccessible.

FIRST CATHEDRAL: Under the reign of Ordoño II (c. 873 - 924) a palace was constructed over Roman baths. In 912, the monarch ordered that the city of San Esteban de Gormaz be repopulated in an attempt to reenforce the boundary between Christian and Moorish lands. Upon hearing of Ordoño II's efforts, Abu-Abdallah ordered a siege of the city in 917. In the end, Ordoño II''s forces defeated the Moors. Grateful for what he perceived as divine intervention, Ordoño II offered up his royal palace to be the site for the first cathedral in León. Renovation and construction began under the episcopate of Fruminio II, bishop of León, who, "con la ayuda del pueblo fiel" ("with the a help of faithful citizens") transformed the existing spaces of the palace into a sacred place. The tomb of Ordoño II, who died in 924, is locted behind the main altar in the current cathedral.

SECOND CATHEDRAL: Under the direction of the infanta Teresa Urraca de Navarra, the king's sister, work began on a second cathedral. This project fell under the episcopate of Pelayo II, bishop of León. The style of the new construction was Romanesque, constructed of brick and masonry. It had three naves that ended in semicircular apses with the central one dedicated to Santa María. Though evidence indicates that its construction was in-line with the standard norms of Romanesque design, there are traces of its original form with the decorative integration of the horseshoe arch. The cathedral was consecrated on November 10, 1073 during the reign of Alfonso VI. There is some evidence that the masons that worked on the cathedral also contributed to the construction of the Basilica de San Isidoro de León.

This second cathedral remained intact until the end of the 12th century. Under Alfonso IX of León the city and kingdom entered into a phase of major social, artistic and cultural transformation.

THIRD CATHEDRAL: The construction of the third cathedral began around 1205 in the Gothic style. Not surprisingly, the Roman hippocausts (heating system) under the floor of the cathedral interfered with the construction of the foundations for the supporting pillars. In addition, there was the problem of persistent water seepage into that space, which delayed construction. Nearly all of the cathedral was completed between 1205 and 1301. The design is attributed to maestro Enrique who is believed to be a native of France. He is also credited with working on the Catedral de Burgos. During the 14th century the cloister and north end tower were completed. The south tower was not completed until the second half of the 15th century. 

The Catedral de León mirrors the layout of the Cathedral at Rheims in France. Like most French cathedrals, the one in León is built with a geometric module based on the ad triangulum, the primary lines of which relate to the square root of 3, and to which respond all the parts and the whole. The layout, elevations, and decorative and symbolic elements, make this cathedral a truly trans-Pyrenee construction and belonging to the purest version of the school of French Champagne.

The Catedral de Santa María de la Regla de León is often referred to as the pulchra leonine ("beautiful lioness") because of its unique and prominent appearance.

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On the outside of the Cathedral is an interesting feature. León is seat of early parliamentarianism. One aspect of this legislative authority was the establishment of a site where judgments were rendered; represented by the church, the nobility, and the citizenry. Near the entrance to the Catedral de León is a pillar on which are inscribed the words "Locus apellationis" accompanied by the figures of a castle and a lion, symbols of the Kingdom of Castilla y León. For several centuries before the 13th century and always in the atrium of the cathedral, assemblies with the participation of the people were attended to celebrate "trials of appeal or standoff." The process and eventual sentence or decision was promulgated by four judges, each of them representing the King, the Nobility , the church and the People (the three estates), in accordance with the Fuero Juzgo and the aforementioned Fuero de León. Also in this place Councils met and contracts were legalized. This judicial procedure, typical of León, ruled on lawsuits using the Liber Iudiciorium or Fuero Juzgo, of which it is known that there were romanced copies in Leonese and Galician. It was reminiscent of Visigothic Law, but continued to be valid in León beyond Alfonso X. An ecclesiastic presided over the process assisted by several ordinary judges: it heard lawsuits in the first instance, and in appeal from the royal court, which gave it extraordinary importance.

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Aside from its external beauty, the interior is what leaves visitors overwhelmed. In accordance with the French Gothic style, the Cathedral is home to 737 stained-glass panels subsumed into 130 windows with a total surface space of 1735 square meters (18,675 square feet), the majority dating from the 13th to the 15th centuries (the pictures do not do the space justice).

This is the main altar. The detail in the placement of the windows is astonishing. For the first time, while Jannette and I sat in the Cathedral listening to an organist rehearse, I noticed that high in the triforium (the level of smaller windows just below the larger panels of the clerestory) there were small trifoils (three-node) windows...

I remembered a conversation we once had with a nun regarding the little details that can often go unseen by the human eye. Her response that though we cannot see those details, God can!

There are three large rose windows that occupy the west wall and each end of the transcept. 

West Rose Window (this is the larger and is located opposite the Main Altar that stands at the east of the nave)

Here is an interesting side note. The photo below is a view of the window above from outside. This is a good example of the concept of outside and inside. So, from the outside the window appears drab with its stone tracery yet from the inside the light transforms the window.

TRANSEPT WINDOWS

North transept rose window

South transept rose window

Most of the windows date from the 13th to the 15th centuries with some added as late as the 20th century. The windows reflect a variety of subjects with garden motifs dominating the nave as you enter from the western portal. Other windows depict historical, religious, and, even, supernatural events that are meant to bolster the faith of the believer. Some have suggested that the windows represent a progression from a garden, reminiscent of Eden, the fall and the expulsion of Adam and Eve, towards the high altar with all of its sacramental and salvific implications.

Immediately behind the main altar in what is called the "girola" is the tomb of Ordoño II. 

I am going to focus on the scene just below the tympanum.

This space is divided into two spaces. First...

From left to right: 1) Luke 23: 39-43 - here is the thief who stood up for Jesus and to whom the Lord said, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise." Notice that the malefactor is looking upward in a gesture of anticipation; 2) this is the Mary the mother of Jesus; 3) this is the soldier who was ordered to pierce the Lord's side from which came blood and water. In Catholic tradition the soldier's name was Longinus. According to legend, Longinus suffered from visual problems. When he pierced the Lord's side with the spear, blood trickled down the staff and on to his hand. When he lifted his hands to his face, the Lord's blood restored his vision. This constitutes the last of the miracles associated with Jesus Christ; 4) the Crucified Christ; 5) It is hard to say who this figure represents. However, I suspect that he represents the idea of a "witness" to the events represented in the panel; and 5) John the Beloved. The characteristics of John are common across the centuries: a) his is usually beardless; b) he wears a red robe; c) he has wavy or curly hair; and d) he has one of his hands on his cheek showing his sadness.

Second...

This scene is the DESCENT FROM THE CROSS: The scene begins immediately after the figure of John the Beloved (the figure in red). 1) Here the thief that we saw in the first scene who was promised to be Paradise with Christ is looking directly at the Savior as he is taken from the cross; 2) This is Mary the mother of Jesus, holding his arm gently as he is taken down from the cross; 3) the Crucified Christ. Note on his exposed knee the blood stain. This is frequent in representations of the Lord since it reminds the viewer of the moment on his way to Calvary when he falls; 4) this might be Mary Magdalene. She holds a privileged position as the first to see the risen Christ; in many similar representations she, like John the Beloved, expresses deep grief; 4) the two men at the far right remove the nails from his feet and hands. The nails, the hammer, and the pincers are three of the Arma Christi depicted in many crucifixion scenes.

In that same space, opposite the tomb is a beautiful 13th-century carved representation of the Virgen de la Esperanza (or del Apocalipsis) like the one in the Basílica that I described in the other post. However, this one surpasses all others that we have seen. 

In the cloister is a statue of the Virgen de la Consolación (13th century), also known as the "reina del claustro" ("queen of the cloister"). It is a very unassuming figure that sits in an unassuming niche. On several occasions we have seen young girls posing in front of the figure after their first communion with huge smiles. The figure is really quite appealing as she represents sweetness, goodness, and generosity.

Finally, a little humor. In the nave of the cathedral opposite the main altar is the coro (choir). It is here that bishops and priests would gather for councils. As part of their councils they would sing liturgical pieces that would require them to stand for long portions of the process. Each seat in the choir has a seat that folds up to make room for the priest to stand. Under each seat is a little extension known as a misericordia (a.k.a., mercy seat). This pieces were designed to allow a priest to rest his buttocks on the extension and rest during long sessions standing. The figures were often grotesque images. So, why these figures? I was told that these grotesques are placed precisely below the buttocks to symbolize the church's dominion over the sin, temptation, and evil.