One Pilgrim's Progress: Lessons from the Camino  
              by Jo Paluzzi
  • Home
  • Book Excerpt
  • Book Excerpt #2
  • Purchase
  • Photographs
    • Slide Show
    • Chapter One
    • Chapter Three
    • Chapter Four
    • Chapter Five
    • Chapter Six
    • Chapter Seven
    • Chapter Eight
  • Maps
    • Camino Frances
    • Traditional Routes to Santiago from Western Europe
    • Iberian Peninsula, Year: 1030
    • Spain Today
    • Spanish Autonomous Regions
  • Author Contact


Chapter Seven
Rose Window, León Cathedral.
Vaults and Rose Window, south transit, León Cathedral.
Beautiful León Cathedral.
The White Virgin
Electric candles. drop a coin in the box to the left, light a candle!
León Cathedral
San Isodore Church, Leon
Two men sitting, León
Ham Museum, Astorga
Giant Backpack outside of a store in Astorga
Maragatos figures mark the time by striking bells. Astorga
Of course, a museum for chocolate! Why haven't I thought of that!?
The Mystery: Yellow-faced men and blue lotus?
Palacio Episcopal, Astorga. Designed by Catalan architect, A. Gaudi
Segment of the ancient wall that surrounds the old city, Astorga.

As I studied the lower windows on the south side of the cathedral I came across a mystery. There are a series of lancet windows in which the center of the flowers had been replaced by very yellow human faces. It was unlike any of the other, all-flora windows and seemed somehow both whimsical and personal among the uniform solemnity of the other windows. The faces are surrounded by oak leaves, vaguely recalling a powerful symbol of the earth and nature among pre-Christian cultures (including the Celts) known as The Green Man or a foliate head. Like many pagan iconographies and traditions, the symbolism was “christianized” on at least a superficial level and can be found throughout the Roman and Gothic churches and cathedrals. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.