The Cathedral of Santo Domingo stands in the heart of the town, on the Camino. It is on the site where Santo Domingo first built a chapel for pilgrims. The original church has gone, replaced by the building designated a cathedral since the 13th century.
The cathedral is closely surrounded by buildings and it is difficult to get a sense of the entire structure. This (below) is north side, and the Romanesque end of the church, with the freestanding tower in the background. On the western end the narrow road into the square and to the parador leads runs through the portico of the cathedral!
Inside the Cathedral of Santo Domingo
Like most of these buildings it takes a moment or two for your eyes to accustom to the dim light and then there is an understanding of a vast space. The choir is towards the back of the nave, west of the transept, and so there is a restricted view down the length of the church towards the high altar.
It was not a building which appealed to me in its entirety. I also found it somewhat confusing.
In the body of the church you have to look down the side aisles, and across the body of the church to sense the size and breadth.
The Romanesque end of the Cathedral
Facing away from the Choir there is a complete different view.I preferred the Romanesque end of the cathedral, because it felt more peaceful. And it was simpler.
Another Angle?
It felt as though we were in two churches: one east/west and another north/south. The retable by Damian Forment dates from the 16th century but was moved to the northern transept in the 20th century. It is opposite the south door which opens on to the square of the parador.
Damian Forment was an architect and sculptor and apparently the most significant in Spain in the 16th century. He studied in Italy and then returned to Spain and established his studio in Zaragoza. The altarpiece for Santo Domingo was his last work.
Santo Domingo’s Tomb
Santo Domingo is buried in the crypt, with a prominent tomb in the cathedral above. The mosaics around the tomb are by Marko Ivan Rupnik, and seemed somewhat gaudy.
The Chickens
Yes, real, live chickens in the church! According to the legend, in the 14th century a young man was accused of sexual advances and hanged. His parents heard him talk from the gallows and protested to the Magistrate, who said he was as much alive as the roast chicken he was eating. At this point the roast chicken raised itself and started flapping! This miracle is attributed to Santo Domingo – the legend doesn’t tell us if the young man survived… The chickens continue.
The Cloister
There were always people in the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, but when I returned it was only to sit at the Romanesque end for some minutes.
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