Camino Photo of the Day: Gothic Wonder

Another view of the Cathedral in León. Here you can see some of the typical features of Gothic architecture: the spires, the flying buttresses, the rose window. Most Gothic cathedrals took centuries to complete. As a result of different architects (and bishops!) over the course of that time, they can sometimes become a muddled mess.

By contrast, the bulk of the work of León’s Santa María de la Regla was completed by a single architect, known only as Enrique, from 1255 to 1277. While it wasn’t dedicated for another decade, the bulk of the structural work was complete, and Enrique’s original vision was entirely preserved in a harmonious whole.

Bits continued to be added for several hundred years, but in every case, they followed Enrique’s original plan.

Date: 19 April 2013
Place: León (Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)
Today started: Mansilla de las Mulas (Province of León, Castilla y León, Spain)