Current reading is a weighty tome, the catalogue of a 1994 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I found the book in a charity shop, if memory serves -
and bought it because of the Visigothic objects, including this spectacular crown
which I'd seen in the archaeology museum in Madrid a few years before - in fact that was the first time I'd heard of the
Visigoths, who settled in the Iberian peninsula after disturbing the Roman empire.
A book sits on your shelves for years and then its moment comes. As with this one. Its essays are a good source for the history of northern Spain, and for the medieval art and architecture of the area.
The plan is to go to Spain and walk along some of the Camino de Santiago, the stretch between Burgos and Leon. So I'm looking for what delights might be visible along the way...
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| Late 7th century, in a church near Burgos |
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| Fresco in San Isidoro, Leon - it'll be nice to see this in colour |
It's little, simple, old churches like this I'm looking forward to seeing -
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| Santullano, Oviedo ... I fantasise a side-trip to Oviedo... |
Leon's churches look to have much sculptural interest - these portals are part of San Isidoro, named after the sainted 7th century bishop of Seville and dedicated in 1063 -
he exhibition catalogue includes many items from various museums, among them metalwork and books -
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| Adam and Eve, from about 1000 (Logrono) |
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| Cross of the Angels, Oviedo, 808 |
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| Initial S in the form of a juggler, 980 |
The church of San Salvador is the only building remaining of the country estate, near Oviedo, of King Alfonso III (reigned 866-910). It was consecrated in 893 in the presence of seven bishops -