Burgos Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santa Maria is one of the great Gothic buildings in the world. Construction began in 1221 under Bishop Mauricio and King Fernando III, modelled closely on the French Gothic cathedral at Bourges, and the building was largely complete by the end of the thirteenth century, though the famous openwork spires — the most distinctive element of the facade — were added in the fifteenth century by master builder Juan de Colonia.

The interior is vast and dense with detail. The Capilla del Condestable, behind the high altar, is a masterpiece of late Gothic decoration with a star-vaulted ceiling and the tombs of the Constable of Castile and his wife. The Golden Staircase by Diego de Siloé connects the north transept to the street level outside — a problem of architecture that Siloé solved with elegant wit. The famous Papamoscas automaton on the clock tower has struck the hour since the sixteenth century. Entrance from the Plaza de Santa Maria costs around €9.

The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

things to do sight architecture
A story
El Cid — Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, the eleventh-century warrior who conquered Valencia and became the great hero of the Reconquista — is buried beneath the crossing of Burgos Cathedral, alongside his wife Jimena. Their remains were transferred here in 1921 from various locations where they had been moved over the centuries. The simple tomb slab in the floor, set under the soaring lantern tower, is more moving for its understatement.

Other places in Things to Do