“The old cathedrals are good. But the great blue dome that hangs over everything is better.”
—Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881, Scottish philosopher, historian, and mathematician
…versus…
“Not even the most secular among us can fail to be uplifted by Christianity’s architectural legacy–the great cathedrals.”
—Martin Rees, b. 1942, British astronomer
The Cathedral
Yes, that is the full name: La Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa María. It is both a basilica and a cathedral (more on that later).
To many tourists, it might simply be “that gorgeous church in Burgos”.
If you are in the vicinity, don’t miss it. It is considered one of the finest and purest masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Spain, and the only individual Spanish cathedral to hold a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation independently.
It is also the final resting place of the legendary 11th century knight of Reconquista fame, El Cid Campeador, and his wife, Jimena Díaz.
Construction began in 1221, with some major improvements and additions completed in the 15th and 16th centuries. So, yep, the thing has been around for a few years.
Church? Temple? Cathedral? Or…?
According to the Catholic Church, religious sites/buildings have specific definitions. I prayed to Saint Google for help with this.
To wit:
- Church – A general term for any place of Christian worship.
- Oratory – A place other than a parish church where it is canonically permissible to celebrate the Liturgy (mass).
- Chapel – A smaller place of prayer and worship, often, but not necessarily, an annex to a larger church. A chaplain is in charge.
- Shrine – A religious site or church where some sacred relic is preserved, or some miraculous religious event has taken place.
- Parochial church – A local community church, associated with a parish. Regular priests are in charge.
- Cathedral – The home church of the bishop of the diocese. Typically, a fairly major structure.
- Basilica – Designated as such by the Vatican due to some historical, religious, or architectural significance. Usually a cardinal is in charge.
The Burgos Cathedral – Images
I made all images with the iPhone15 Pro, then worked them through Adobe Photoshop Elements and a DxO Color Efex filter called “HDR Like“. The phone camera didn’t do too badly–and it sure was easy to carry around. As they say, if you want beautiful pictures, photograph beautiful things, and there were certainly lots of beautiful things inside the Burgos Cathedral/Basilica.
Ah, and speaking of music, we can’t forget the main pipe organ, and splendid indeed it is! Here you go, Craig…
Finally, make sure to hang out on the hour to see the Papamoscas (or flycatcher, simpleton, idiot?) ring the bell! Sort of a curiosity rather than a major world event, in my opinion… but there will always be a crowd.
