Salamanca Cathedral

With a full day in Salamanca, we wanted to actually go into buildings, rather than just admire the facades.  Our walk the day before showed us the main sights and how to get around (very easy city to walk).

We first went to the Cathedral.  Unlike the day before when we passed by, there was no line to get in.  The Cathedral is a two-for-one deal -- the Old Cathedral, a 12th century Romanesque church, and the New Cathedral from the 18th century well, built from 1513-1733).  When something takes 220 years to build, it has a variety of styles.  The New Cathedral has a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque.  

Rather than tear down the Old Cathedral, the New one was built right next to it, and you enter the New, tour that, and then go into the Old.  It affords an amazing perspective on the difference in the 12th century build, and the much larger, much grander New.

The facade, which faces a relaxing small park full of flowers, is Plateresque, which is Spain's style of flamboyant Gothic.

The New is huge, while the Old is a lot more cozy.  The New's art is good (not great like the art in Toledo's Cathedral), but the Old's art is pre-Renaissance, and is glorious (see the photo string below).

The cloister and chapterhouse are both special.  

Early morning, Plaza Mayor.  A bit quieter

than it was at 3am.  One solitary figure

makes his way through the Plaza

The Cathedral.

The dome.

An old depiction of the

cruxifixion, even though

this is in the New Cathedral. 

The centerpiece of the top of the dome.

Now we're in the Old Cathedral.

Sometimes it's heaven, and

Sometimes it's hell, and sometimes

I don't even know.

Saint Christopher, patron 

saint of travelers.