Battle of the Tunas, and the Cathedrals

In Spain, small groups of musicians who gather in plazas to sing, play music, and serenade those in the general area are called Tunas. While in Plaza Mayor last night to pick up my daily dose of ice cream, Isabel and I saw two Tunas, each in a different corner of the plaza. Which one do you like the best?

Tuna #1

 

 

 

 

Tuna #2


This afternoon, we had our first guided tour in Salamanca.  Salamanca is known for its two cathedrals, La Catedral Vieja y La Catedral Nueva (The Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral, respectively).  The older one was built in the 12th century, about 100 years before the university was founded.  A few hundred years later, the city and it's university had become a center of learning, and religious officials decided that it was time for a grander and more modern cathedral.  Therefore, construction on the new one began at the beginning of the 1500's, and took a full 200 years to complete.  Typically, when a new cathedral replaced an old one, the old one was knocked down, but as a result of the beautiful artwork and intricate tombs in the old cathedral, it was decided that both should be maintained.  Moreover, the cathedrals are actually seamlessly connected to each other so that you don't even leave the building to move from one cathedral to the other, a truly unique characteristic that isn't likely to be found throughout the rest of the country.

When we arrived at the cathedrals, we were pleased to see Ángel, our awesome tour guide from Segovia.  He began this tour by showing us some interesting carvings on the façade of the new cathedral.  A somewhat unusual law was passed in Spain in the 20th century, stating that any architectural restorations must be altered at least slightly to reflected that they were changed in modern times, rather than attempting to restore them perfectly to their original historical states.  Nowhere is this more evident than on the wall of the new cathedral in Salamanca:

Yes, my friends, on the side of a building that was completed in the 1700's, you are looking at an astronaut, as well as a monster that moons us as he enjoys his ice cream cone.  Only in Spain.  There are other updated figures, but these are by far the most ridiculously out of place.

 

We headed inside and began our tour of the old cathedral.  Reflecting the time period when it was built, this side is darker, with smaller windows, a lower ceiling, and giant columns. 

 

The front altar features a retablo, or a series of images that "told" biblical stories to a population that was largely illiterate.  In this case, the retablo tells the life of Mary.  Above it is a painting of the Apocalypse.

 

Afterwards, we found ourselves in a tomb that had quite a bit of history relating to the university.  Once upon a time, it was tradition that if you wanted to be granted your degree, you first had to spend the night alone in this tomb. You would sit until daybreak, in the darkness, in a chair - similar to the one you see below - at the head of an entombed body.  Um, no thank you.

 

The following morning, all of your professors would join you in the tomb and would ask you questions for as long as they wanted before deciding whether to pass or fail you.  If you passed, you processed through the main door of the cathedral where your friends were waiting to throw you a party.  If you failed, you were required to slip out of a side door in shame and proceed home.  Attention University of Delaware friends:  I never before thought of our Comprehensive Masters Exams as a "cakewalk" until I learned this story.

As we were leaving the tomb, we noticed a pile of tools in the corner.  Ángel explained that those were some of the tools used to build the new cathedral.  It is amazing to me that a building as magnificent as this:

 

was built with these:

We compared the differences between styles and features, but there is no argument that both cathedrals are architectural masterpieces, especially considering the times periods in which they were built. It must have taken such patience to design and begin constructing a building, knowing that if you were lucky, maybe your grandchildren would live long enough to see its completion.  This visit reminded me of the awesome Ken Follet novels Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, which focus on the construction, completion, and significance of a cathedral in the Middle Ages. 

I will most likely return to the cathedrals and pay for the tower tour.  That will allow me to climb to the top of the bell tower, and also to meander through some of the catwalks high up in the new cathedral.  Stay tuned to see how brave I am!