León Cathedral

“A house of stained glass, where every wall has become light”

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Photo: Albeins · Public domain

Scenes

Stained glass filling the apse of León Cathedral — Light entering through windows that stand in place of wallsJosé Luiz · CC BY-SA 3.0

The west front of León Cathedral — twin towers and the great rose window — The house of light from outside — twin towers and the rose window of the Gothic facadeRastrojo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

You look up and the sun pours in through vast stained glass standing where walls should be, washing the nave in colored light.

León Cathedral is revered as a 'cathedral of light,' raised in the thirteenth century in the French Gothic manner, its expanse of glass said to outmeasure its walls. It stands at the heart of León, a principal city of the Camino Francés, and is famed for its vast medieval stained glass.

Field notes

Location: León · Castile and León · N42.6° · W5.6°
Best time: Around midday on a clear day, when the windows burn brightest.
Getting there: In the heart of León's old town, a short walk from the Camino.
Etiquette: Keep quiet during services and photograph without flash.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· UNESCO World Heritage

Official site Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.