Burgos was founded in 884. It was fortified by the Romans, and was of little importance in the Visigothic and Muslim times. Alfonso III of León built a castle over the Roman ruins in the 9th century. Burgos was considered Castilla’s most important city from the start. It was the home of El Cid, an important Castillian nobility leader. The city had once been Spain’s principal commercial center. It was given the nickname of the “Land of Castles.” It was also the capital to the Castilla-Leon Kingdom for 500 years.
The climate of the city is not great for agriculture. It is said that there’s “nine months of winter, and three of hell.” The city has also been very cosmopolitan starting from its founding. There were at one point two Moorish quarters and a Jewish quarter.
Burgos is a major stop on the Camino and a pivotal point on the Camino. No other Spanish town has more pilgrim hospices than Burgos does. In the 15th century, it was counted that there were 32 hospices, 25 still existed in the 18th century. Most of them were founded by royalty, private citizens, merchant guilds, and religious and military orders. The earliest known hospice was San Juan Evangelista that was founded prior to 1085 by Alfonso VI. There was a chapel in the building that was used as a burial place for pilgrims. By 1097, the hospice had grown into a monastery that was administered by the Benedictines. In 1128, Alfonso VII donated it to the bishopric. The hospice had 12 beds and a chapel that was dedicated to San Lesmés. It was rebuilt in 1479 and renovated in 1626. The new building had 50 beds and a pharmacy that were supported by the Cofradía de Mer caderes de Burgos. The hospice was closed in the 17th century.
Important Monuments
Burgos Cathedral (Santa Maria)
The cathedral was built between the period of 1221-1795, with the first stone laid on July 20, 1221. It is built mainly in the French High Gothic style, but there are other styles present in the architecture. It became prevalent to the city in the late medieval period. The cathedral itself came to Spain through the Way of Saint James Route. The cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and is known for its size and unique architecture, along with its impeccable artwork. The first mass in the new building was held in 1230. The ceiling vaults of the original building were closed in 1243, 22 years after construction began, very remarkable for this time. The silhouette of its towers and pinnacles are a key aspect of the Burgos skyline.
The Santa Maria is considered by some to be the “richest anthology of medieval art styles and genres that you will find along the Road” (The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago, pg 177). It is also said in the book The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago that “Burgos’s cathedral is like a box of exquisite bonbons: no one, no matter how fond of chocolate, can do their flavors justice by eating them all in one sitting.” The architects of large medieval churches tried to affect the worshipers in the cathedrals to give them a sense of awe and wonder. In the chapel, it is said that there are more major works of art than most museums have.
The picture on the left was our first look at the Cathedral. It seems massive in relation to all the
buildings. The right picture is a front view of the Cathedral.
There was a wedding going on when we walked by, that’s why there are a
bunch of people in the front.
This retablo of the Chapel of Conception or the Chapel of St. Anne. The subject of the retablo is “the stock of
Jesse.” The man lying asleep with the tree growing out of his chest is
Jesse. The twelve figures coming from
the tree are the twelve kings of Judah, descendants of Mary. Mary is in the top center holding the baby
Jesus. Her parents are below and holding
each other chastely, said to represent the immaculate conception. The Church is to the left of Mary with open
eyes, an intact staff, and a chalice while the Synagogue is to the right blind,
with a broken staff, and the tablets of the law. I found this very striking and interesting as
a subject for the retablo behind the alter.
The monastery was started by Alfonso VII after he made Burgos his principal residence. It was built in 1180 with the architecture being from the period between Byzantine and Gothic style. It is a Spanish Royal Site and has been the site for many royal weddings. The remains of Alfonso VIII and his wife Eleanor, who was the daughter of English King Henry II and the sister of Richard the Lion-Hearted, are housed in the monastery. Eleanor was the first prioress of the convent. The convent was to report to the King, and was originally a refuge for widowed nobility. The building became a hospital in 1212, and there are currently 36 nuns that live there. They support themselves through decorating porcelain, making rosaries, and doing laundry for the local hotels. Access to the interior of the monastery is only allowed by a guided tour.
Cartuja de Miraflores
Cartuja de Miraflores was founded in 1441. Its wooden altar is considered one of the most important works of Spanish Gothic sculpture. It holds the remains of Juan II and Isabella of Castile and Prince Alfonso of Castile. The marble of their figures are so intricately carved it is said to look like wax. It is also famous for the wooden sculpture of St. Bruno.
The Santa Maria Arch
The Santa Maria Arch was built in the 9th century and was renovated in the 16th century. It is one of 12 entrances to the city from the middle ages. The structure simulates that of a castle, and the niches hold characters from Castilla history.
My Take on Burgos...
Burgos is such a beautiful city! The view that we had from the castle affirmed that truth for me. The cathedral in the skyline rises above the buildings in a way that I haven’t seen in any other city. There’s so much history here, not only in this city but all of the places we’ve been so far. It’s crazy to think that it almost took longer to build a single cathedral then the United States has existed as a country.
The stunning view of the Cathedral and Burgos from near the castle. We
weren’t able to go into the castle because it was closed, but I think this view
made up for it.
Today in Burgos, it was somewhat of a mind-blowing experience. We first visited the Monasterio de las Huelgas. It was interesting to see the history of the royals and how the monastery was established. One striking thing to me was that the founders of the monastery were married when the wife was 10 and the husband 14, and they died 25 years apart in the same year. That’s so crazy to think that if I lived back in their era that I could have been married for 11 years already! The buildings and sculptures were such beautiful historical artifacts. It’s different seeing things that are older than the US is.
My all-time favorite part of the day was going to the cathedral. Yes it may look beautiful from the outside, but from the inside it is a whole different world. There were so many works of art that were so breathtaking. I mentioned earlier in the blog how the intent of the cathedral was to leave the worshipers in awe, and the Burgos cathedral is no exception to that.
As far as the pilgrimage goes, I find it quite
interesting to be following it from a car.
Seeing the path that the pilgrims are walking on makes me want to get
out and join them. I can very clearly
see how a reason for the pilgrimage can be religious. There is a lot of power in some of the places
we’ve been so far. Walking into the
cathedral I felt a presence that I haven’t felt before. With the sculpture of Christ on the mast, in the right-hand picture, I
felt the guilt of my sin weighed upon him, yet I also felt his grace and relief
that Christ did die for me to live. You can see the pain and the suffering in His face.I really want to come back and walk the Camino myself at some point in my future, I had decided that before we came here, but as we are going through all these places and learning more about the history, it’s making my ambition stronger.
We went by the building where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel received
Christopher Colombus after he returned back to Spain from the Americas. This is the inscription on the wall near the
door. It is now owned by a bank. Odd how historical buildings are turned into
modern day things.
Some shells and walking sticks that every pilgrim to Santiago should
have. The shell is the symbol of the
true pilgrims, and the staff helps to aid the pilgrims on their trek to
Santiago.
Kind of being a creeper here, but this is a true Camino pilgrim.
A sculpture of Christ that is displayed in one of the chapels of the
Cathedral. I find it to look very
realistic. I was a little stirred when I
saw it because it looks so life-like. Notice
the shells behind the statues on the right and left??
The picture on the left is the retablo behind the main alter in the Cathedral. It’s dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The picture on the right is one of the stone retablos that can be found in the
ambulatory. I found it very realistic
and very moving when I saw the detail that was put into it.
I’ve always been in love with stained glass windows, and the picture on the left is one of
the many that are in the cathedral. The right-hand photo is a painting of Mary Magdalene done by Gianpetrino. He was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite
disciples, and I think it’s easy to see the similarity with da Vinci’s works.
The left photo is one of the many artifacts that are placed in one of the
chapels. It is actually an extremely
small painting. It’s neat to see just
how much detail was put into the piece. In one of the chapels, there was a display of more modern artwork by a
specific artist on display of Jesus’s journey to the cross. The photo on the right is of Jesus and his mother during his walk to Calvary.
The picture on the left is of some of the many caskets that were on the second level of the cloister. The picture on the right is a side view of the Cathedral.
Behind the view there is a square with various shops there where you can
get Tapas or drinks or simply browse the various selections of souvenirs.
Buen Camino!!!!
~Emily K.
Buen Camino!!!!
~Emily K.
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