Art, Travel and Culture: the Cathedral of San Salvador de Ávila

'Seeing Ávila, one can understand how and from where Santa Teresa came up with her image of the inner castle and the dwellings and the diamond. Because Ávila is a Berroque stone stone gilded by suns of centuries and centuries of suns ... '.
[Miguel de Unamuno (1)]

There is no doubt that the Cathedral of Avila, is one of the most unique buildings of its kind, because it was not only projected as a temple, but also as a fortress, the time of its construction being also imprecise, although the general trend tends to place it in the twelfth century, coinciding with the repopulation carried out in the time of King Alfonso VI of León.

Imprecise, too, is the attribution to Magister Muri who intervened in its first phase and therefore, the oldest one - the hypothesis that it arose on the ruined foundations of the old Church of the Savior is considered, perhaps hence its advocación-, although the name of Fruchel, a dark architect of probable Frankish origin, who may have accompanied the hosts of Raimundo de Borgoña, responsible, apart from the military orders, for the aforementioned repopulation.

Considered as the first Gothic cathedral in Spain, there are those who appreciate many similarities with the basilica of Saint-Denis, although the latter lacks the magic and spectacularity provided by that genuine berroqueña stone -swept by suns of centuries and centuries of suns , as Unamuno affirms, that they give it an aspect, above all in its interior, definitely overwhelming, in the broadest sense of the term.

Perhaps because of this, it is difficult to feel spiritual laziness -continuing with Unamuno, when referring to the Platonic concept of misology-, when penetrating in such a place, certainly complex and mysterious.

A place where, as in that sacred and primitive forest, immeasurable sketch from whose source a great part of the Gothic dream was nourished, there are dark places, far from the diaphanous light that filters through the glass of its windows, but from branches pointed in the direction of that Axis Mundi constituted by the central ambulatory, composed of a double ambulatory, in memory, perhaps, of those oriental models, based on the Sepulchrum Domine of Jerusalem.

In addition, like many other cathedrals, this cathedral also has its secret passage and it is more than possible that here, too, in the chapel closest to the second entrance - perhaps the one in San Antolín -, hospitals were improvised in times of care of the sick and even, with great ornament, pomp and circumstance, this medieval carnival simulation, a spoiled pagan simulacrum, which was the Fiesta de los Locos, was celebrated.

What also can not be doubted is that, independently of the suggestive magic inherent in a construction model whose columns and flying buttresses stretched desperately towards the heavens as did the arms of the condemned in the pious breastplates of souls, the cathedral of San Salvador has become, at the same time, the treasury of an important and wonderful collection of Art, from different periods and styles, but in which, however, the seeker of singularities will not only enjoy the inherent beauty of all that they see his eyes, but, once his attention is focused, he will soon notice the many archetypes, kits and enigmas contained in objects that, well looked at, contain more than pious literalities.

There is no shortage either, those succinct presences on the outside, like the monumental wild men of the west facade or that 'speciosa portal', loaded with relevant and New Testaments bickerings, whose dialogue has to go unraveling little by little or that, unfortunately, incomplete composition of skeleton and female character, which could allude - it is only a speculation - apart from that Psicomaquia de Prudencio that some authors want to see also not only on the cover of Santiago of the church of Cifuentes, in Guadalajara, but in addition, in a curious and strange allegory contained in the Cover of Platerías of the cathedral of Santiago.

Anyway, there are so many and so varied the secrets and wonders contained in this immeasurable piece of History that is the Cathedral of San Salvador, which I can not help but, once given some clues, recommend a leisurely visit to this glorious labyrinth of subtle and ancient mysteries.

Bibliography:

(1) Miguel de Unamuno: 'Spanish adventures and visions', Alianza Editorial, S.A., Madrid, 2006, page 288.

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