SPAIN  |  León, Spain Travel Guide
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La Basilica de San Isidro

Plaza de San Isidro
León
Castilla y León
Spain
98 722 96 08

Type: Historical Interest
Addmission Fee: 3 Euro
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:00 am-2:00 pm and 3:00-8:00 pm

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Rebuilt in the 12th century after the Moorish ruler Almanzor had burned down the original church along with most of the town, the Basilica of San Isidro is considered a leading example of early Romanesque Spanish architecture. It was consecrated in honor of San Isidro, whose remains were retrieved from Moorish-controlled Sevilla and entombed here. The remains of 11 Leónes Kings and their families lay in the Panteón de los Reyes, a burial chamber founded by King Ferdinand I and Doña Sancha in the 11th century. Here, the Romanesque art is brazen, beautiful and astonishingly well preserved (thanks to the dry, cool confines of the crypt). The vaults, arches and ceiling domes are adorned with beautiful 12th-century Romanesque frescoes depicting a variety of scenes from the New Testament, including the Last Supper, the Annunciation and the intriguing Tetramorph, in which the four evangelists have animal heads – a bull, an eagle, a lion and, of course, a man. Entrance to the museum includes access to the Royal Panteón as well as to the library and treasury. Among the artifacts is a handwritten 10th-century Visigothic bible, the Reliquary of San Isidro and the ornate, gem-studded chalice of Doña Urraca.
Last updated January 2, 2008
Posted in   Spain  |  León
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