Sahagun and Leon

It has been three days since my last entry--you just try to find a working internet connection or an open Internet Cafe on Sunday in Spain. I´ve traveled the long, flat road from Sahagun to Leon and spent a day in the big city.

Sahagun was once an important stop on the Camino. It was home to more than 50 monasteries and societies, most associated with an expansive Cluniac complex. The French monastery of Cluny sent priests in the 12th century to begin building in the area. What remains today is historically interesting, but also a sad, sagging sight. I say sagging because the buildings weren´t constructed from the same material as buildings farther to the west. Due to the lack of suitable stone in the area, the locals here built out of baked, red bricks. Consequently, what remains is slowly melting in the elements--you can literally see walls bowing and roofs sagging. Two large church sanctuaries remain, and the gates to an expansive complex still stand as traditional pilgrim passageways; otherwise, little remains. Interestly, because of the inferior building materials, the sanctuary walls do not rise as high as eleswhere, nor do they have vaulted, stone roofs--even today they have timbered, thatched roofs.

The road into Leon follows the highway and the train track through fields of wheat, oats, and other grains. You enter through an industrial area and the western rail yard--not the city´s best features. Nevertheless, the city itself offers 2,000 years of history to consider. Originally an indiginous village, the town began to take shape in the first century when the Roman VIIth legion founded a camp here--the city´s name ¨Leon¨ literally comes from ¨legionem,¨ or the word for legion. Impressive round towers and the remains of walls still mark the original Roman quadrangle. Aaaah, but the cathedral. It is Leon´s gem. Anchoring one corner of the ancient quad, the cathedral was built on top of the old Roman baths and on another, earlier Christian church. The current structure was built entriely in the 12th century and represents Gothic style at its best. More than 20 soaring panels of stained glass and three rose windows fill the interior with colored light. Somehow, this feels more like a church than Burgos´ cathedral. Burgos, although filled with material and artistic treasures, was almost a cacophony of styles and expressions--all polished to a high gloss. Leon´s uniformity of idea and simplicity of height and color speak more directly to the human spirit.

I heard mass Sunday morning in the 900-year-old Balilica de San Isidro, then had a good day museum hopping. This morning, I meet with the kind folks at the University of Leon´s rare books collection for a few hours with the written word. Then, down the road. ¡Buen Camino!