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The Burgos Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de Burgos) is a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is famous for its vast size and unique architecture. Its construction began in 1221, following French Gothic parameters. It had very important modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries (spires of the principal façade, chapel of the Constable, cimborio of the transept: these elements of advanced Gothic give the cathedral its distinguished profile). The last works of importance (the sacristy or the chapel of Saint Tecla) pertain to the 18th century, century in which the Gothic statuary of the doors of the principal façade was also dismantled completely. At the beginning of the 20th century, some semidetached construction to the cathedral was eliminated, such as the Archbishopric Palace and the upper floor of the cloister. The style of the cathedral is Gothic, although it has some Renaissance and Baroque works.

In the cathedral, works of extraordinary artists are kept, such as the architects and sculptors of the Colonia family (Juan, Simón and Francisco), the sculptors Gil de Siloé, Felipe Vigarny or Juan de Anchieta, the sculptor and architect Diego de Siloé, the grillworker Cristóbal de Andino or the painter Sebastiano del Piombo ("Holy Family On A Voyage"), among many others.

The cathedral was declared "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO on October 31 of 1984. It is the only Spanish cathedral that has this distinction independiently, without being joined to the historic center of a city (as in Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Ávila, Córdoba, Toledo or Cuenca) or in union with others buildings, as in Seville.

The principal façade was inspired in the purest French Gothic style of the cathedrals of Paris and of Reims. It consists of three bays topped by two lateral, square towers. The steep spires of German influence were added in the 15th century and are work of Juan de Colonia.

Some elements of great interest of within of the cathedral are the Papamoscas (Flycatcher), articulated statue which opens its mouth upon the sounding of the bells at each hour, the Romanesque sepulchre of Mudarra, the vengeful stepbrother of the death of the seven princes de Lara (brought to the cathedral from its original location in the Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza due to its abandonment by alienation), the carved chairs of the choir, the sepulchre of the Bishop Mauricio, the tomb of El Cid and his wife Doña Jimena, the letter of security of El Cid and his chest.

From Wikipedia.
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Troisième cathédrale d'Espagne par ses dimensions, après Séville et Tolède, La Cathédrale Santa María de Burgos, remarquable édifice gothique, a su adapter le style fleuri venu de France et d'Allemagne à l'exubérance propre au style décoratif espagnol. Les nombreuses œuvres d'art qui se trouvent à l'intérieur en font un grandiose musée de la sculpture gothique européenne.
Après la pose de la première pierre par Ferdinand III en 1221, la construction de la cathédrale s'effectue en deux grandes étapes correspondant à deux styles de gothique : au XIIIe siècle les nefs et les portails sont édifiés par des architectes locaux d'après les plans rapportés par l'évêque Don Mauricio d'un voyage à travers la France, alors en pleine «fièvre» gothique; au XVe siècle une nouvelle tranche de travaux élève les flèches de la façade, la chapelle du Connétable et la décoration des chapelles des bas-côtés. C'est alors le style nordique qui s'implante car Alonso de Carthagène, un autre grand prélat de Burgos, a ramené avec lui à son retour du Concile de Bâle plusieurs architectes et sculpteurs venus de Flandre, de Rhénanie et de Bourgogne. Ces artistes trouvèrent dans l'art local, imprégné d'arabesques mudéjars, une source de renouvellement du gothique flamboyant qui s'affadissait alors dans le reste de l'Europe. Felipe Bigarny, le Flamand Gil de Siloé et Jean de Cologne le Rhénan se distinguent tout particulièrement. S'assimilant rapidement, ils créeront de véritables lignées de sculpteurs burgalais : Gil avec son fils Diego Jean avec son fils Simon et son petit-fils François.
Le cloître avait été construit entre-temps au XIVe siècle ; quant à la magnifique tour lanterne de la croisée effondrée après les travaux audacieux de Simon de Cologne, elle dut être réédifiée par Juan de Vallejo au milieu du XVIe siècle.

From Wikipedia.
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La Cattedrale di Burgos (spagnolo: Catedral de Burgos) è una cattedrale gotica situata a Burgos, Spagna. È dedicata alla Vergine Maria ed è famosa per la sua architettura unica e per le dimensioni.

La costruzione della cattedrale venne ordinata da Ferdinando III di Castiglia e da Maurizio di Burgos, vescovo di Burgos inglese per nascita. I lavori iniziarono sul luogo di una precedente cattedrale romanica il 20 luglio 1221, partendo dall'abside che venne completata in nove anni. L'altare maggiore venne consacrato la prima volta nel 1260, dopodiché ci fu un vuoto di almeno due secoli prioma che la costruzione riprendesse. La cattedrale venne completata nel 1567 con la costruzione della guglia posta sopra al crossing principale.

I principali architetti responsabili della costruzione furono un francese del tredicesimo secolo ed un tedesco del quindicesimo. Nel 1417 il vescovo di Burgos presenziò al Concilio di Costanza tornando con il capo mastro Giovanni di Colonia (Juan de Colonia), il quale terminò le torri con guglie di pietra.

Tra i più famosi vescovi di Burgos si ricordano un erudito del quindicesimo secolo, e lo storico Alphonsus a Sancta Maria.

Nel 1919 la cattedrale divenne il luogo di sepoltura di Rodrigo Díaz conte di Bivar ("El Cid"), e della moglie Doña Jimena. Il 31 ottobre 1984 l'UNESCO inserì la cattedrale tra i Patrimoni dell'umanità, unica cattedrale spagnola ad averne l'onore.

From Wikipedia.