Burgos Cathedral. Main Façade


The main façade is on the Plaza de Santa Maria with a starred rose-window and a gallery of statues of the Castile monarchs. There are two 88 metre high towers, crowned by magnificent spires with open stonework traceries. Here we can see that the construction was over a long period with two gothic styles. The lower part by local architects built on plans imported from France in the 13th and 14th c. and the upper parts in the 15th c. with architects and sculptors like Felipe Bigarny from Burgondy, Gil de Siloé from Flanders and John of Cologne. They found in the Moresque local art "mudejar" an inspiration which allowed them to renew in the 15th century here in Castile and Leon the flamboyant Gothic which weakened then in the North of Europe.This transformation of the gothic style is very noticeable when looking up from the three entrances to the open-carved balustrades and balconies in the towers.Remarkable of course is the white stone used. The cathedral of Burgos looks like a lace work.