Burgos Cathedral

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The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. The entire history of Gothic art is summed up in the gorgeous architecture and its unique collection of artworks, including paintings, tombs and stained glass. Works of extraordinary artists are preserved here, such as the architects and sculptors of the Colonia family (Juan, Simón and Francisco), the sculptors Gil de Siloé, Felipe Vigarny or Juan de Anchieta, the sculptor and architect Diego de Siloé, the grillworker Cristóbal de Andino or the painter Sebastiano del Piombo, among many others.

Burgos Cathedral is the oldest Gothic cathedral in Spain and one of the first built in Europe. Its construction began in 1221 as the main temple of the kingdom of Castile, and was completed in the 15-16th center, following French Gothic parameters. The cathedral is the most striking monument of Spanish Gothic style. Its giant arcade became an attribute of the Hispanic churches of the world (particularly in South America).

Construction of the cathedral began on July 20, 1221 by the order of King Ferdinand III of Castile and Mauricio, the English-born Bishop of Burgos on the site of a former Romanesque cathedral. The altar was consecrated in 1260, after which for more than 200 years there have not been performed any construction works. The completion of the cathedral dates to the year 1567, when the spire over the main ceiling was completed. The main facade of the cathedral, much of which was built in the XIIIth century, is oriented to the west and is dedicated to Virgin Mary. The most ancient façade, in the South (dating from the 1230's) depicts Christ surrounded by apostles and angels in sculptural form. The eastern apses were built during Renaissance (in the XV-XVIth centuries).

In 1919 in the cathedral there were buried the Spanish national hero Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar ("El Cid"), and his wife Doña Jimena.

Now the temple is divided into two zones, the museum and the ministry. To view the rest of the temple, its main treasures and museums, you should buy a ticket at the ticket office on the southern side of the cathedral and then climb the stairs to the south entrance.

The interior of the cathedral is grandiose: many elements were built during the Renaissance and Baroque period, in 14-17 centuries. For this reason there are a lot of gilding, magnificent stone carvings, altars, sculptures and other treasures. The central nave is decorated with a huge retablo dating from the XVIth century. By the choir, there are carved biblical and evangelical scenes, in front of the chorus there are buried the great knight “El Cid” and his wife, Jimena. Near the northern door, there is preserved a gilded staircase. Take a look inside the courtyard of the cathedral as well- its arcades boast museum exhibits.

Cathedral of Burgos was included on the UNESCO world cultural heritage list in 1984.

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