Today our attention is once again focused on one of Spain's most significant cathedrals, which, although it suffered from neglect and oblivion for centuries, to the point that the locals themselves ironically and bitterly called it “the Beautiful Unknown,” is fortunately enjoying well-deserved attention today, once again drawing eyes to it: the Cathedral of San Antolín in Palencia.
We are therefore dazzled by the geometric beauty of what is considered the third largest cathedral in Spain, letting ourselves be carried away by the fantastic essence of a story whose genesis, as Chesterton recommended, begins, at least, in that obscure 7th century, with what is considered to have been a Visigothic temple—probably also built on top of an earlier pagan one—that is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Wamba.
On this site, considered the 'crypt of San Antolín', a first Romanesque cathedral was built. Later, attention turned to the heights of Gothic architecture, further emphasizing a vision of evocative fantasy, seasoned, as if that weren't enough, with the symbolism of a Romanesque narrative that endured for centuries. A testament to this is the presence of those enigmatic figures who navigate between cults, the green men, and the cryptic and sometimes provocative message of the gargoyles, ever vigilant, whose earliest antecedents can be traced back to the legendary guardian demons of the famous King Solomon.
Surprised by its gaze and dazzled by the remarkable beauty of its exterior, nestled within a veritable pandemonium of Herculean petrified columns, capable of withstanding the terrible forces acting upon its awe-inspiring framework, its equally dazzling interior makes us think that, like Lewis Carroll's muse, the well-known Alice, we have just entered a parallel universe, similar to the paradoxical Wonderland.
It is not uncommon, but it is significant, to find, within the religious imagery that prevails in these charismatic interiors, the presence of figures who, for various reasons and circumstances, embody a rich symbolism. Among these, the indispensable figure of the White Virgin stands out—very similar, in this case, to the one also found in the Primate Cathedral of Toledo—as does the figure of a mysterious pagan character, later Christianized and a 'friend' of Alchemy: the giant Saint Christopher.
This, combined with the beauty of the forest of columns supporting handcrafted vaults, unfurled like the sails of a ship capable of navigating the complex seas of the spirit, and the culturally relevant contents, placed like time capsules in strategically located chapels, makes the visit, after all, a true adventure, where the difficulty, in the end, is not to be swept away by the seductive challenge that always accompanies a little-known or unknown history.
A magnificent excuse, therefore, to make an unforgettable visit to the capital of the Gothic Fields.
NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are therefore subject to my copyright.
