In every country in the world there are places and monuments of interest. However, for it to be considered “world heritage” it must also have “exceptional universal value.” Heritage is that legacy that we receive from the past and that we will transmit to future generations, so receiving the UNESCO distinction is an honor for the country and citizens, but it also entails the responsibility of maintaining its conservation and protection. In Spain, we have entire cities with this recognition, as well as monuments and groups of them. Of course, only one cathedral in our entire geography has it independently, without being linked to the historic center of the city.
Although cathedrals such as those of Toledo, Seville and Santiago de Compostela can be said to be recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage, they are as part of a monumental complex of the city in which they are located. However, in 1984, the Cathedral of Santa María de Burgos joined this prestigious list in its own right. And, to date, it is the only cathedral in our country named a World Heritage Site alone.
Marisa Cornelsen
The first Gothic cathedral on the peninsula
It is not surprising because there is no doubt that the Cathedral of Burgos is one of the most beautiful monuments of Gothic art. However, it is not the first cathedral that was built in the same place. Previously, there was a Romanesque one, built between 1080 and 1095, in the space occupied by the palace of the Kings of Castile (donated to the bishop of the time). However, Burgos was a city expanding towards Europe through political alliances and the Camino de Santiago and needed a new Cathedral, in accordance with the rank and importance expected of the capital of the Castilian-Leonese Kingdom.
Cathedraldeburgos.es
It was then agreed to build a cathedral according to the new fashionable style in Europe: Gothic. The first stone was laid on July 20, 1221 with French architects and masters who had been brought to Burgos to build a building that follows the model of Notre Damme, in Paris, or those of Reims, Amiens,… Thus giving rise to the first Gothic cathedral on the Peninsula.
Its construction was very fast and by 1230 it was ready for worship. However, it would not be until 1260 that the work would be finished. Still, only 39 years had passed in total, a record time for the construction of a cathedral. Of course, the temple continued to expand and be enriched with new buildings until reaching the building that we can visit today.
Inazio Perez
Its original layout and very personal elevation make it a building that stands out for its harmony. Just look at the twin spiers rising towards the sky in a lace waterfall. Already inside the building, a bronze tombstone warns us that the legendary Cid Campeador, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and his wife Doña Jimena rest there.
Victoria Poveda
Cover photo | Zack Smith
