Ok so León was the mother of all experiences. The first time I went, I was taken there to keep me occupied cos my friend was under the weather, and her parents were happy to drive me about. That evening we got there as the cathedral was about to close so I only had a few minutes to sputter and fizzle in shock and awe at the walls. Or lack thereof. This cathedral has three tiers of stained glass windows. Seriously. In some bits four. I cannot begin to express the exquisite beauty. They also don't allow photos, of course, cos they make money on selling pictures of the glass, but the second time I made it there, in 2007, there was a wedding on so I happily wandered about sneakily taking photos.
This place is so beautiful I am strongly tempted to marry a Spaniard just to be able to get married there on a Saturday afternoon in July. *sigh*
On my first trip, it was May, so I also managed to get lovely pictures involving the poplar pollen, which looks a bit like tiny snowflakes floating about. Much sun and blue sky, and some scaffolding, meant that I got some interesting perspectives.
The photos of the stained glass are not as good as I would have liked, but like I said, it was stealth photos! I've put in two that try to showcase the breathtaking beauty of the tiers of windows, but, of course, they do not even come near the original.
The Gothic style of architecture refers to certain structural innovations that allowed the ceiling to be raised very high, called flying buttresses because they come out of the sides and arch to the ground. The other structural characteristics are the pointed arch and the ribbed vault. It also refers to certain decorative styles, such as the use of gargoyles, spires, and carved ornamentation. The story goes that the force behind the search for architectural innovation that led to the Gothic cathedral was a quest for a way to make a person instantly raise their eyes heavenwards and be overcome by awe upon entering the place of worship. It certainly succeeded in this case.
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