Within the Basilica of San Isidro in Leon there is a small, inscribed memorial. It declares the site to be “ the cradle of the system of parliamentary democracy” by no less an authority than UNESCO. Some 30 years before the Magna Carta, King Alfonso IX formed the Cortez of Leon, the first such body to incorporate the modern principles of democracy. Oldgreytravel’s recent visit to the city of Leon in northern Spain was to prove an eye opener in more ways than one.
The city betrays a history as old as Spain itself. Founded in Roman times, its true significance came to fruition when the Reconquista spilled out of the Asturian mountains just to the north. King Ordono II transferred his capital from Oviedo to Leon in 914, which thus became the de facto capital of the Reconquista – the 700 year struggle to evict the Moors from Spain. It remained the capital for the best part of 400 years before it was moved to Burgos in the C13.
The town is festooned with the palaces, grand houses, churches and cathedrals that one would expect of a capital city. Of the many sights, the two most remarkable are the Cathedral and the Basilica of St Isidro – both among the finest of their type in the world. They bookend the most significant period of Leon’s history with the C11 Basilica representing the early capital and the C13 cathedral the last stages of this status before it was superceded by nearby Burgos.
The Basilica is one of those buildings that takes you by surprise. Before visiting Leon, oldgreytravel had never heard of it, after visiting I will never forget it. It is a vast complex of church, chapels, cloisters and monastery built into the Roman walls of the old city. Architecturally, it is an extraordinary amalgam of every significant period of building from Roman through to the Baroque, but with the most significant being that of the Romanesque when King Ferdinand built a palace church along with a cemetery chapel for the Asturian Kings, past and future to grace his new capital.
The absolute, stand-out highlight is the funeral chapel, consecrated in 1063. A mere 8m square, its rounded arches and decorative capitals are some of the finest in Romanesque art, but what really sets it aside is the decorative painting of the ceiling, remarkably preserved and considered the finest example of Romanesque art in existence. Not for nothing is it known as the Sisitine Chapel of Romanesque art.
The cathedral by contrast is of a different scale. One of the largest in Spain and unusual for being designed and built by French architects and craftsmen. This reflects the powerful cultural and commercial influence of nearby Christian France at this time when all the land to the south was in Moorish control. There are no Islamic influences here and the design is pure French Gothic. While the scale and architectural form is impressive, the most significant element of the cathedral is the stained glass windows – the largest expanse of medieval glass in the world after Chartres Cathedral – and one of the finest expressions of this craft that one can witness. Nothing betrays the French influence more than the stained glass windows, a northern European tradition and not one typical of Spanish cathedrals. The majority of the glass dates from the C13 through to C15 and is considered some of the finest in existence.
However, the city is no dusty historic relic. It remains an exemplar of urban living with graceful squares, parks and elegant buildings forming the backdrop to an exuberant Iberian lifestyle of bars, cafes and restaurants. The entire centre is pedestrianized to create a tranquil space for all the necessary chores of life. In short, there is very little reason for the visitor not to like Leon and, even better, while by no means a backwater, the number of tourists is easily accommodated by this small town and the many monuments it can offer. It retains the feel of a Spanish city rather than a tourist centre and is all the better for it.
