CATEDRAL DE BURGOS

It is undoubtedly the most beautiful in Spain, and is the third largest after those of Seville and Toledo. This Gothic jewel in the shape of an ocean liner crowned with stone lace was begun in 1221 on the orders of Ferdinand III of Castile, in the glorious days of the Reconquista, but its construction was not completed until the 19th century. Its four sides have large doors, each with its own style of decoration and architecture. But the main facade, 84 m high, is obviously the object of all eyes: from any point of view, it remains astonishing with its balconies, arches, statues, its central rose inlaid with a Star of David, known as the "Seal of Solomon". On the left, the famous clock has been striking the hour for over 600 years. It is surmounted by a "comic" character, nicknamed Papamoscas or "flycatcher", who appears at each hour, opening and closing his mouth.

Inside, the cathedral (three naves and 13 chapels) is distinguished by the partitioning of its vast space and by an intimate atmosphere uncommon in the great Gothic cathedrals. Among the masterpieces: the chapel of the Condestable, with its gold-covered altar, the altar of Saint Anne and the sacristy, with the recumbent of the Cid, who is buried next to his wife under the dome. Also noteworthy is the main altarpiece, a masterpiece of the Spanish Renaissance, sculpted by the brothers Rodrigo and Martín de la Haya. A museum of sacred art is housed in the chapel of San Juan Bautista.