FRAGMENT OF THE NATIVITY ALTARPIECE

BACKGROUND 

León cathedral is one of the most outstanding Gothic cathedrals in the whole of Spain. Building on it began mid-XIII century on the same plot of land as the palace granted by king Ordoño II at the beginning of the X century to house the first Cathedral Headquarters. Over the following centuries, this first building was first replaced by a Romanesque cathedral, then by another, Late Gothic one. The cathedral floor plan is based on that of Rheims Cathedral. Like Rheims, it has a wide transept and ambulatory, radially located side chapels and five naves that are reduced to three at its foot.

In addition to the cathedral's diaphanous structure, problems with its foundations and the quality of the stone used in its construction have seriously compromised the building's stability from the XIV century onwards, leading to several ambitious restoration projects that started in the XIX century.

Among its many outstanding attractions worthy of special mention is the vast surface area covered by the cathedral's glass windows - almost 1,800 square metres of them, in fact! Several windows date from the XIII century. Their splendour as a group of glass windows is truly exceptional.