Falling Roofs and Stained Glass
Day 19 Leon to Mazarife
Miles today: 14.2
Elevation gain: 444’
Descent: 281’
Total walking miles: 201.9
Total Camino miles: 316.4
A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
John Barrymore
We were back to walking today, and a glorious day it was! Mostly sunny with just a mild breeze and getting warmer every day. (At least for one more day). It was almost hot this afternoon, but still pleasant.
Tonight we are in Mazarife (pop 414), having walked an easy 14.2 miles on mostly leaving level terrain, about half on gravel paths and half on pavement. Tonight we are staying in the Tio Pepe Albergue in en-suite rooms. Very basic but certainly tolerable, except for Chum who cannot deal with slow or non functioning internet connections.
Tomorrow is a big day. We should pass the milestone of 20+ miles in a day. Luckily the weather forecast is good for tomorrow; than, as a local gentleman told us this evening, “tormentoso” starts the next day. We believe this means torrential rain, thunder, and lightning. Always an adventure!!
I loved Leon and would like to return and spend more time in this vibrant city. We were fortunate to visit on possibly the busiest weekend of the year—Easter Weekend. The streets were packed and the restaurants were full as were the bars. By chance we saw a religious procession up close on Friday and another on Saturday. These are huge events with “floats” and hundreds of participants.
Leon began as a Roman encampment in 29CE and developed into a permanent settlement. The city was originally called Legion but that became Leon over time. The finest treasure in Leon is the Gothic Cathedral. The current cathedral is the fourth one in the same location and its construction was begun in 1205. It was built in a record time of 100 years, at a time when the population of the city was only 5000. There are 1800 square meters of stained glass windows form the 13th to 15th centuries. The magnificence of the cathedral is the streaming light. The 125 stained glass windows did present a major problem. The large number of windows affected the structural integrity over the centuries and by the mid 19th century the roof began to cave in. At one point the cathedral was declared to be in imminent danger of total collapse. After some failed attempts to resolve the problems, a possible solution was finally agreed upon. The cathedral was supported with a massive wooden scaffolding support system and a 50 yearsestoration process was begun.
Leon began as a Roman encampment in 29CE and developed into a permanent settlement. The city was originally called Legion but that became Leon over time. The finest treasure in Leon is the Gothic Cathedral. The current cathedral is the fourth one in the same location and its construction was begun in 1205. It was built in a record time of 100 years, at a time when the population of the city was only 5000. There are 1800 square meters of stained glass windows form the 13th to 15th centuries. The magnificence of the cathedral is the streaming light. The 125 stained glass windows did present a major problem. The large number of windows affected the structural integrity over the centuries and by the mid 19th century the roof began to cave in. At one point the cathedral was declared to be in imminent danger of total collapse. After some failed attempts to resolve the problems, a possible solution was finally agreed upon. The cathedral was supported with a massive wooden scaffolding support system and a 50 yearsestoration process was begun.
In 1902 the restoration was completed. Spain held its breath as the wood supports were slowly removed and the massive stone structure settled upon the foundation amid creaks and groans. Then all the stained glass windows, which had been removed in panels and stored for decades, were reinstalled piece by piece in the cathedral.
Today the cathedral is one of the most outstanding cathedrals in the world.
Below are photos of our rest day in Leon.
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