Although not a religious person, I consider myself quite spiritual, and I have always had a soft spot for a good church. In a recent wander through Spain and Portugal, I fell in love again. I also found that practicality of a cathedral.
Toledo, Sevilla, Lisbon and countless cities and towns in between have fabulous cathedrals and intriguing churches. Attributes of creative architecture can be seen as a passage of time over the land. Moorish, gothic and baroque influences can be found as the development of the country was shaped by the reigning power of the era. As powers fluctuated and beliefs changed, the cathedrals and churches taking decades to build, were molded to the design and purse-string of the time. This leads to a single church having the possibility of niches in one style or another and carvings in this method and that.
A church becomes a fascinating "book" to read the history and attributes of the town. Trade, devotion, inspiration, changing of the power-brokers, death of the architect, all these things played a factor in what can be viewed within the cool confines of a cathedral. Paintings, often by significant artists commissioned in the day, add prestige and authority to the church. Carvings on display in likely and unlikely places is some of the best of any era, full of character and skill. Wooden adornments and marble and stone ornamental structural supports add to the spectacular aesthetics of history and faith.
If you like three dimensional artwork be sure to check out the choirs of these magnificent buildings. There you can find skillful and fanciful work of saints, dignitaries, animals, dragons, grapevines and flora, and other medieval creatures. Some of these choir areas were developed to keep the participants involved and comfortable. They are sometimes closed to close public view but are worthy of peering through the enclosures.
It is no secret that Spain and Portugal can be hot places in the summer. The arid lands and dry winds can hinder the most gallant tourist. As seasoned wanderers, we had decided not to maximize this latest particular trip and so felt free to stop and smell the roses. In doing so we found the perfect time to visit the cooling vast spaces of good and grand cathedrals. After lunch, in the heat of the day, when much of the Mediterranean may be taking a siesta or lingering of table talk, a cathedral that arches fifty feet above your head (or higher) offers the perfect gallery, history lesson or moment of contemplation in a busy tourist day. It is hard to be a tourist, as well as enjoyable, but these houses of God afford an excellent respite and understanding of the community.
Wandering into a cathedral or church from a bright hot day, it sometimes takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the soaring ceilings and many separate areas of these architectural spaces. Take a moment to adjust and find a convenient spot to settle and take a look around before you wander into the corners.
On a recent visit in Toledo, a world heritage city, a religious holiday had just finished . The town is a vibrant place, not the historic preservation- don't touch -atmosphere you might expect. Wash hangs high overhead on the narrow shady streets. Bread stores do brisk business in the morning and business men come and go from glassed offices tucked into medieval towers. At the cathedral carvings outside the great doors are especially intriguing and full of life, leaning towards each other to talk, sleeping, and passing stern judgement on those who pass by.
On our visit post holy day decorations still remained decked from the balconies. In the churches were the floats that had been carried through the city. New flashy additions were added to keep the faith relevant- tinsel, modern textures and mechanics to help in the transport but the centerpieces, the historical saints, were placed back in their chapels and niches until the next festivity.
In Sevilla, the church was a particularly welcome respite from the heat and proved a historical treasure. This is
no accident as it was built as a tribute to the reclaiming of southern Spain from the Moors who had been there hundreds of years
(and left some pretty fabulous achievements of their own). At over 125 feet high the scale is tremendously impressive.
The carvings are sumptuous and there is a curious addition of a painted crocodile hanging high overhead
commemorating a gift of an ancient sultan. Although there is debate about the authenticity, Columbus is also found
here, in an artfully wrought tomb enclosing his remains from Havana, Cuba.
The Cathedral of St. Mary in Cordoba is a really interesting space as so much of the Moorish mosque remains as a visible and structural frame for the later christian additions. The exquisiteness of the 856 columns, aesthetically and precisely aligned to the cathedral are not to be missed The old minaret, was adapted to house a baroque belfry and offers a grand view over the city.
The strangest church we went to was in the Portuguese town of Evora, about an hour away from the touristy Portuguese coast of Algarve. The town is charming and we found the people to be friendly and helpful. The Chapel of Bones (1485+/-) is on the side of the Church of St. Francis. To make room in the cemetery the monks created a chapel of stacked human bones, chiefly visible were skull, arm and leg bones. They are placed in the wall straight in so that the thickness of the bone-ness is considerable. Skulls are artfully put along the edges of the vaulted ceilings as well as throughout the walls. It doesn’t feel as creepy as your mind can make it, perhaps because of the sheer quantity of the remains (estimated at 5000 people).
For this trip, perhaps my favorite for craftsmanship and contemplation was the Monastery of Saint Mary in
Lisbon’s Belem area. A hundred years in the making it is a cream puff of a place. Warm ochre colored stone and evidence of dedicated artists make this a courtyard for passing a good part of a hot afternoon. The gargoyles are particularly eye catching, ornamental ones alternating with functional carved drain spouts- pigs, dragons, grasshoppers and other domestic and imaginary creatures ring the central courtyard which is embellished with carved arches and ice cream cone pinnacles that allow for seriously fun study. Faces, both noble and furious, line the top level of the compound and there is something to study in every portico. It is a fine example of Manueline style, after the severity of some Gothic churches, the stone becomes a riotous celebration of the dedication to God.
In the Cathedral is a fine carving of Vasco de Gama in repose on his tomb supported by some fine lions. Around some interior doors of the cathedral you can find almost druidic carvings of expressive faces.
Take a contemplation break. Get off the tourist bus, spend some time in the lofty cathedrals of art and faith. Enjoy the coolness, the skill and perhaps you will find a little secret something that will make your day.
Oh, and if you are in Croatia, don’t miss the carving at the cathedral in Sibenik. Stunning.
But here is this party. It is only for for thirty and probably won't last long. The menu is poached salmon, grilled chorizo and sausage selection, blanched asparagus and mixed vegetables, chicken pate, baked brie, oriental rumaki (water chesnuts wrapped in bacon), a little bit of everything. Technically I could do all these things with my eyes shut but in this day my kitchen is no longer equipped and it is taking a long time to do all the cooking. I would rather be looking at art.
there.That was followed by a visit to the Chapel of Bones which is a unique spot from my travels. The whole of the walls was stacked with human bones, thighs, legs arms. The skulls were cemented in for structural support I would guess. A rather bizarre place. Ghoulish, but not, they were so old the connection of them being human was gone although what a great movie scene to have them all reassemble.....
on many towers and I think I remember having read something about African storks that summer in Spain. I will attempt to post pictures. Sevilla was a stop, nothing more. A non descript convention hotel, dinner and heading out the next morning.
It has been hard being on a budget with so many temptations. I want to eat all day, or shop. There are many cute stores but having a small suitcase keeps me from being too bad.
Mark and I walked down to the City Quay yesterday and saw tall ships (there were 5 in town) and a festival which was fun. There were street vendors and face painters. Lots of standard stuff but it was fun. Pictures will be forthcoming.
The days are getting longer. That is a good thing. The sun does a lot to lift the spirits. I have seen beautiful moments; sunrise in its pinks and purples is always a delight. Snow smoke- a form of fog is beautiful along the edge of the bay and an eagle flying in the snow is a breathtaking experience.
