Apartamentos Rice

Caleruega

by Carmela71

Caleruega is at the south of Burgos Province, at the Ribera del Duero region, famous for its wines.

An area with lots of history as it was a natural frontier between the Christian kingdoms of the north and the Moslems of the south in the far-off days of the Reconquest.

You can find lots of churches, convents and monasteries.

For more information click on my Caleruega page

Cathedral of Burgos - the Westside.

by breughel

Best is to start a walk around the cathedral from the plaza de Santa Maria on the south-west side. Here stands the principal façade which was inspired in the purest French Gothic style remembering the cathedrals of Paris and of Reims.
The façade consists of three bays topped by two lateral, square towers. The steep octagonal spires, 88 meters tall, covered with open stonework traceries of German influence were added in the 15th century and are work of Juan de Colonia (born in Cologne, Germany). He introduced the flamboyant style to Castile.

Walk up the stairs on the left to have a view on the nave with the central octogonal tower. The impression is that of huge lacework.
One can also see how the architects were able to use the irregularity of the ground by forming places cut by staircases.

Monasterio de las Huelgas

by breughel

The name "Monasterio de las Huelgas" sounded somewhat odd to me as "huelga" in modern Spanish means strike (I had experienced a national huelga = general strike on a previous trip to Spain!). In the middle ages "huelgas" was meaning rest, leisure; before the monastery there was here a royal leisure residence from where the name.
The monastery was founded around the year 1180 by Alfonso VIII of Castile and his wife Leonor de Plantagenet and enjoyed from the start many royal privileges.
It was incorporated with the Cistercian Order and became the Kings' Pantheon as well as the retirement of great number of women belonging to the aristocracy.
As can be seen from my photo the monastery is austere from the outside but the content is up to its royal founders.
The sober Gothic church contains in the choir the tomb of Alfonso and Eleanor as well as many other persons of the royal family.
In the chapterhouse, which opens off one of the Romanesque cloisters, are a banner captured from the Moors in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) and four Turkish standards taken in the battle of Lepanto (1571), as well as tapestries and various sacred objects.
St James's Chapel has a figure of the saint with a movable arm holding a sword. This is said to have been used for the knighting of royal personages, including the future king Edward I of England.
There is also a Museum of Fabrics renovated in 2008 which displays a unique collection of garments and fabrics found in sarcophagi in the church.

Open:
Tuesday - Saturday 10 - 13 h & 15.45 - 17.30 h
Sunday 10.30 - 14.00 h
Closed on Mondays and religious feasts.

Price: normal 5 € , guided visit (Spanish)
Reduced : 4€ groups with guide
Minimum : 2,50 € for students and seniors (>65) from the EU, guided visit.

Note: there is still a religious community at the monastery.

Burgos: where Mío Cid still lives and fights

by andal13

"Donde el Mío Cíd aún vive y lucha"

Burgos was the capital of Castilla and León Kingdom from 1073 till 1492; a very important part of Spaniard history happened there.
Unfortunatelly, I spent here just a cloudy afternoon, in my way to Madrid, so this page has just a few impressions.

Burgos fue la capital del Reino de Castilla y León desde 1073 hasta 1492; una parte importante de la historia española transcurrió aquí.
Desafortunadamente, pasé aquí sólo una tarde gris, camino a Madrid, así que esta página sólo tiene unas pocas impresiones.