Burgos Cathedral is known as the “petrified forest”. The grandiosity and beauty of this gothic cathedral has been internationally recognised, and it has been on the World Heritage list since 1984. It is the only cathedral in Spain to possess this distinction from the UNESCO on an independent basis, without the need to be included in the historical centre of a city or in the company of other buildings.
For many, as well as being the Spanish Gothic temple par excellence, it us one of the great monuments on the Way of St. James.
Linked to the history of our country, it houses the mortal remains of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, "Cid Campeador", and his wife Jimena, and although it is the harmony and majesty of its architecture that is most impressive, it is above all a living temple, built for worship and devotion and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
In the 13th century, the growing prosperity of the city of Burgos, a major landmark on the Way of St. James, called for a larger cathedral than the existing building (a Romanesque cathedral dedicated to Saint Mary and commissioned by Alphonsus VI). Following its demolition, work on the new cathedral commenced under the sponsorship of Ferdinand III the Saint.
Its construction continued between 1221 and 1765, and although the Gothic style is predominant, there are also signs of other artistic trends, which reflect the various stages in its construction. The work lasted 5 centuries, subject to the the vagaries of the economy, society and patronage.
In short, Burgos Cathedral combines many different styles from the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The most striking aspect is the ultimate harmony of the ensemble.
Burgos Cathedral consists of three naves. The central nave is in turn divided and enclosed by a large fence, with three different identifiable parts: the Main Altar, the Choir and the Transept.
It contains several chapels, all of which are of high artistic quality. This is demonstrated by the sculptures, slabs, Renaissance altarpieces and tombs that we can admire during our visit.
The Cathedral's external splendour is exceeded, if such a thing were possible, in its interior.
CHAPEL OF THE VISITATION
Built between 1440 and 1442 at the expense of Bishop Alonso of Cartagena. For this reason, it is the funeral chapel of Alonso and several of his relatives. The bishop's meticulously decorated alabaster tomb stands in the centre.
Construction was directed by Juan de Colonia, who is buried alongside his wife, under the slabs at the entrance.
The altarpiece dates from 1653 and replaced a previous one in the Gothic style. The highlights among its paintings are the Visitation and the Virgin with Child, as well as St. Ann with St. John, which are inspired by classical Italian works.
Also noteworthy, because of its excellent colours and expressiveness, is the huge canvas signed by Carlos Luis Ribera, representing the Catholic Monarchs with their travelling court before Granada.
CHAPEL OF ST. HENRY
Construction sponsored by Archbishop Enrique de Peralta y Cárdenas and built by stonemasons Juan de Sierra and Bernabé de Hazas. It occupied the space resulting from joining two former chapels together, and was completed in 1674. The Council demanded that some elements of the former chapels be maintained and installed on the altarpiece of the new one, the venerated image of Ecce Homo, a Flemish painting from the Antwerp school, by an unknown author.
This main altarpiece belongs to the Baroque of its time and is presided over by the image of St. Henry the Emperor, after whom the chapel is named and the archbishop's namesake.
CHAPEL OF ST. JOHN OF SAHAGÚN
This chapel has documented since the early 14th century by the name of St. Catalina and also Rojas, the family that built it and were buried in it. Since 1765, it has been dedicated to St. John of Sagahún, a saint that was canonised in the previous century and who had been Canon of Burgos Cathedral. His relics were thus transferred to this chapel's altarpiece, which includes an image of him dressed as a Canon, carved by Juan Pascual de Mena in 1770.
In architectural terms, the chapel has undergone several modifications. It still maintains Renaissance structures, combined with Baroque ornamentation. There are also some late Romanesque elements.
CHAPEL OF THE RELICS
Built in 1765 in the Baroque style by the architect Fray José de San Juan de la Cruz, to meet the need of housing the huge inventory of relics held by the Cathedral. These include relics from several biblical characters, saints and even a thorn from Our Lord's crown. Some are authentic and others were deemed to be such in inventories that have existed since the early Middle Ages.
This chapel may only be accessed through the sacristy, to which one enters from the Chapel of St. John of Sahagún. However, it is visible through the glass grill that separates the two chapels.
CHAPEL OF THE PRESENTATION
Also known as the Chapel of Consolation, of St. Joseph and of the Lermas. It was sponsored by Canon Gonzalo de Lerma and built between the years 1519 and 1524 by the architect Juan de Matienzo, following the sumptuous style of the Chapel of the Constables.
The founder's alabaster tomb stands in the centre. The latter's tomb is accompanied by other tombs belonging to relatives and friends.
It is noted for the octagonal star of the vault, which rests on a double squinch system with Renaissance ornamentation and the oil on wood depicting the Holy Family painted by Sebastiano Luciani “del Piombo” around 1525.
CHAPEL OF THE MOST HOLY CHRIST OF BURGOS
This chapel is exclusively dedicated to worship and prayer. It is a bay from the original cloister that has undergone several refurbishments. At the end of the 19th century, the architect Lampérez gave it its current layout.
The main altarpiece, in the neo-Gothic style, frames the image of the Crucified Christ, a work dating from the 14th century and of Flemish origin. It is made of wood, is fully articulated and covered in calfskin. Since 30th January 1836, it has been known as the Chapel of the Most Holy Christ because of the importance of this presiding image, which is the object of fervent veneration in Andalusia and Spanish America, where it is known as Our Lord of Burgos.
Also worthy of note is a polychromatic crowned image of the Virgin with child, dating from the 14th century.
“PAPAMOSCAS” (FLY-EATER)
This is the name given to the famous figure that rings the bells of the clock while opening and closing its mouth. It is located on the left window of the first compartment of the vault in the central nave, as one enters through the Door of St. Mary.
On its left stands the “Martinillo”, which views the scene from a balcony and marks the quarter- and half-hours. Both figures date from the 16th century and their definitive embellishment, in the 18th century, was carried out by the clockmaker Francisco Álvarez from Salamanca.
AMBULATORY ALTARPIECES
The three Renaissance altarpieces built in Briviesca stone by Felipe Vigarny between 1498 and 1503 are framed, behind the main altar in the central nave, by the complex late Gothic ornamentation by Simón de Colonia. Its Renaissance air was a great novelty in the Cathedral and consolidated its author's fame.
. Christ on the way to Calvary. The highlights are the expressiveness of the faces, the dynamism of the characters, their balanced distribution and the sense of perspective.
. Christ crucified between the thieves. The serenity of Christ contrasts with the contortions of the others that have been crucified. The figures of the Holy Women and the Mother of Sorrows are currently affected by stone sickness.
. Christ taken down from the Cross and Christ Resurrected. This double depiction is also affected by what is known as 'stone sickness'. Like in the other altarpieces, there are seated apostles: four Apostles under each painting, with their respective canopies and pedestals.
MAIN ALTARPIECE
This magnificent altarpiece was completed between 1562 and 1580, by several artists under the guidance of Rodrigo de la Haya. It was finally installed in 1585 and taken down to be painted and gilded in 1593, a task that was finished in 1596.
It is built according to a Renaissance structure and organised in three bodies with an attic, which are divided, from the bottom up, into one central street and a further three on either side.
The central niche depicts Saint Mary the Greater, a silver Gothic image of whom presides over the altarpiece. There are also some interesting iconographic aspects, such as the importance granted to the tabernacle and the relics of St. Victoria and Saints Centola and Elena.
LOWER CLOISTER
The Cathedral has two superposed cloisters. The lower cloister is currently one of the most beautiful ogival cloisters in Spain. It is a harmonious and balanced Gothic construction from the last third of the 13th century and it was designed and built by the architect Enrique. Its large bright windows and wealth of both decorative and monumental sculptures have been maintained and give it its unique charm.
ST. CHRISTOPHER GRAFFITI
When the walls on the southern wing of the transept were being cleaned, an outline became visible on the wall - it turned out to be a large polychromatic image of St. Christopher, dating from the 14th century. As almost all of the polychrome had disappeared, the experts decided to mark the outlines in black, as can be seen today.
Until it was discovered, it was covered by a large painting of St. Christopher made in the 18th century, which had been hung to "hide" this graffiti, which was by then dilapidated and had lost its polychrome effects.
The Ciborium stands majestically in the very centre of the Cathedral, at the exact point where the main nave and the transept meet.
However, this is not the original one, as on the night of the 3rd of March 1539, the Gothic cimborium that had been built by Juan de Colonia collapsed. On the same day of the collapse, the Council ordered the Burgalese architect Juan de Vallejo to build the one that is still there today. Construction commenced in 1540 and was not fully completed until 1573.
It consists of eight sides and two storeys supported on four gigantic pillars crowned on the top with four spectacular spires.
PILLARS. Of particular note are the 16 medallions representing virtues or the prophets and the coats-of-arms of Cardinal Juan Álvarez de Toledo and of the Council. They hold up the great Holy Fathers of the West, St. John the Baptist, the Evangelists and the Apostles. The pillars are crowned with atlantes. The builders made an inscription with the date on which that height had been exceeded.
FIRST BODY. The leading position corresponds to the group of the Annunciation of Our Lady, after whom the Cathedral was named: the image of Mary is of exquisite classical beauty and she is surrounded by angels and about to be crowned. Also depicted are Saints Victoria and Centola, beside the coat-of-arms of the city of Burgos, among others.
SECOND BODY. We can admire the beautiful mullioned windows and the imagenes of the prophets from the Old Testament. The walls are covered in complex ornamentation, lesser statues and Plateresque resources. The nerves of the great star that culminates this unique work start out from the upper balcony.
SYMBOLOGY. From the air, the Cathedral looks like a huge ship. The stern would be the two towers on the main façade, plaza de Santa María, and the ciborium would be the control tower. From the decks, the image of Christ Our Majesty is visible. He is holding the globe in his hand and appears to be steering the ship.
