The Cathedral of Santa María in Leon is an impressive Gothic work from the early 13th century. It was built on the walls of an older church from the 11th century and took over 100 years to complete. In the central portal is a copy of the famous 'White Virgin' (Virgen Blanca). The original is now in the choir. The secondary portals (of San Juan and San Francisco) are not inferior in artistic beauty. A noble group of windows, a mighty rose and a balustrade under a large pediment complete the façade. Light streams into the nave with its cross-ribbed vault through huge coloured windows (13th and 16th centuries). Two unequal towers stand free in the west front. The older north tower is 65 m, the other, late Gothic, 68 m high.
Photos: Gerhard Eichinger
Leon
