burgos & la catedral

a short extra post with a few impressions from a short visit to the cathedral. and a quick summary of the tour:

the burgos cathedral is the result of an eight centuries long architectural drama that kicked off in 1221 when king ferdinand III and bishop mauricio decided to ditch their old romanesque church for a trendy french gothic model.

they rushed to consecrate the nave by 1230 so people could actually start praying in it, and then they and their successors spent the next few centuries aggressively upgrading the place with towering spires, three grand facades, and flashy renaissance staircases.

the cathedral certainly had its ‘oops’ moments, most notably in 1539 when a massive central spire dramatically collapsed, simply because it lacked proper structural support, a devastating fire in 1782, and an 1813 castle explosion during the war of independence, that blew out half of its gorgeous stained-glass windows.

despite these chaotic setbacks and a later artistic obsession with cramming baroque decorations into literally every single corner, the resilient survivor eventually secured its vip status by becoming a national monument that houses the remains of el cid, by snagging a unesco world heritage badge in 1984, and successfully celebrating its 800th birthday in 2021.

happy to report it is still here in 2026.