Cathedral, León

León's principal street, Calle del Generalísimo Franco, leads to the Plaza de Regla, in which stands the Cathedral of Santa María de Regla (13th-14th C.), the work of a number of different architects. It is an impressive structure, 91m/299ft long, one of the great masterpieces of Early Gothic architecture in Spain, showing close affinities with the French cathedrals of Reims and Amiens.

Picture - Interior view of the Cathedral in León.

Picture - The Cathedral in León seen at night.

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Cathedral Map

Important Information:

Address: Plaza de Regla, Spain

Opening hours: Jul 1 to Sep 30: 8:30am-1:30pm, 4pm-7pm
Oct 1 to Jun 30: 8:30am-1:30pm, 4pm-7pm

Entrance fee: Adult Free

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Cathedral Highlights

Cathedral - West Front

Particularly impressive is the west front with its two imposing towers, the 65m/213ft high Torre de las Campanas (on left) and the 68m/223ft high Torre del Reloj, which flank the nave with its large rose window and three doorways, richly decorated with sculpture. The finest of the doorways is the middle one, the Puerta de Nuestra Señora la Blanca, with a figure of Santa María la Blanca on the central column and a representation of the Last Judgment on the tympanum, the frieze and the archivolts. On the right-hand doorway, the Puerta de San Francisco, are figures of prophets and the Coronation of the Virgin; on the Puerta de la Regla, to the left, are the Natiivity and Childhood of Christ.

Cathedral - South Front

The south front, similar in form to the west front, with a triple doorway and large rose window, is also very fine.

Cathedral - Interior

The incomparable beauty of the harmonious interior is due particularly to the astonishing light effects produced by the traceried windows, which are up to 12m/39ft in height.

Cathedral - Stained Glass

The 1,800 sq.m/19,400 sq.ft of stained glass range in date from the 13th to the 20th century, the oldest glass being in the middle choir chapels and the rose windows on the west and north fronts.

Cathedral - Choir-stalls

The magnificent choir-stalls, carved by Flemish craftsmen, date from the 15th and 16th Centuries.

Cathedral - Trascoro

The richly gilded alabaster Trascoro was the work of Esteban Jordán (1575). It is designed in such a way that it is possible to look up through an opening into the nave.

Cathedral - Capilla Mayor

In the center of the Capilla Mayor is a modern retablo incorporating 15th century paintings by Nicolás Francés from the original winged altar; particularly notable is the "Entombment" on the left-hand panel. In a silver shrine (by Enrique de Arfe) in front of the high altar are the relics of the town's patron saint, San Froilán (bishop of León from 900 to 905). Other notable features are a "Pietà" by Rogier van der Weyden (on the left) and the richly carved bishop's throne.

Cathedral - Choir Chapels

The chapels opening off the ambulatory contain numerous handsome monuments, notable among them the richly decorated tomb (early 14th C.) of Ordoño II (d. 924). The Capilla de Santiago has very beautiful Renaissance stained glass.

Cathedral - Cloister

On the north side of the cathedral is a large Plateresque cloister, originally built in the 14th century and altered in the 16th. The frescoes are by Nicolás Francés.

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Cathedral Museum

Adjoining the cloister is the Cathedral Museum: to reach it, leave the cathedral by the main doorway and turn right round the north front, as indicated by a sign. The Museum has a large collection of sacred articles and religious art, including some very valuable items. Among them are the 11th century "Lex Romana Wisigothorum", a sixth Century palimpsest, a 10th century Visigothic Bible, a crucifix by Juan de Juní (1576), works of sculpture and pictures.

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