Leon

Frog, mule and now lion, a veritable zoo. Of course the origins of the names may have little or nothing to do with their current links to familiar animals. While the lion is a symbol of modern Leon (sorry for the absence of accents; have not figured out how to do them on the iPhone), and lions in one form or another are almost ubiquitous in the art works representing the city, the origin of the name is from the Roman term for legion and not linked to large cats.

With glorious weather, a relaxed Sunday afternoon has been spent seeing a few of the highlights of Leon. Great luck allowed a visit to the cathedral without the expected Sunday crowd. Even greater luck brought me ino the Museo de Leon's annex at San Marcos, the church next to the Parador. Its three rooms, the sanctuary, the coro, and the chapter room, are awe inspiring examples of the gothic. Leon is a treasure house for fans of romanesque and gothic architecture, and San Marcos is one of its greatest jewels. I am only sorry that i did not discover it on earlier visits to the city.

Tomorrow back to serious walking and on toward Hospital de Orbigo.

Santiago in Philadelphia

Fairmount Waterworks, Philadelphia Museum in back, Philadelphia, PA, 1998

© EOP

Earlier this week I spent several days in Philadelphia, a city well-endowed with things to see and do, W. C. Fields notwithstanding. In the midst of a heatwave, the Philadelphia Museum was a cool respite from the outdoors. The large exhibit of medieval materials, most from France but with a few representative pieces from elsewhere in Europe, was new to me and well worth the visit.Included in the medieval collection is a Romanesque arched Portal from the Abbey Church of Saint-Laurent, France a 12th century building near Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, a pilgrimage church on the Chemin St.Jacques. It is one of many churches and other facilities along the Chemin influenced by the Benedictines of Cluny. The arched doorway leads to a small cloister with a Spanish fountain from Monastery of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa in Catalunya, an exhibit that brings back many memories of France and Spain and of the Chemin/Camino!


Tickets to view the Barnes Collection in Merion were a primary reason for the trip to Philadelphia. The collection is due to be moved to a site in central Philadelphia in a couple of years, and the current year is the last to visit the peculiar museum in its suburban splendor. Most people go to see the awe inspiring collection of French art from the impressionists through the 20th century. Scattered among the gems of that part of the collection are a number of pieces of other provenance, including some fine sculptures and paintings from Renaissance Europe. Spread in several galleries are a third life size statute of St. Roch, a painting of St. James the major in a guise largely unrecognizable to those of us familiar with Santiago Peregrino (pilgrim accouterments including staff, hat and scallop shell)  and Santiago Matamoros astride a horse, and a painting of St. Sebastian with Santiago Peregrino. I foolishly did not carry a notebook, and the museum prohibits photographs and does not offer reproductions in its shop. Any follower of Santiago able to visit the museum is advised to look for the statue near the head of the stairs on the second floor and the paintings in the galleries east of the main room on the first floor.

Museo de los Caminos in Astorga

Interior of Museo do los Caminos, Astorga, Spain (photo from Ayuntamiento de Astorga website)

On Tuesday I showed a couple of pictures of the exterior of the Museo de los Caminos located in the Archiepiscopal palace in Astorga and briefly commented on that fantastical structure mostly designed by the famed Catalan architect Antonio Gaudi. At the end of the session a question was asked about small pilgrimage trinkets and icons. A good collection of badges from early pilgrims on the Camino Santiago is included in the museum. Unfortunately I have not been able to locate much material in English other than simple tourist guide information, a brief description along with location and opening hours. I have had only marginally better results searching in Castellano and French. The museum is small and probably too poorly funded to afford a web page illustrating its collections. And much as I would like to locate a web page showing examples of pilgrim badges, I have not yet been able to find one. As time allows, I shall continue the search for I am sure one or more such pages exist.

Anyone interested in the building itself and able to read Castellano (Spanish) is likely to find the site Gaudi e el Modernismo worthwhile, though some of its information is rather specialized. The page includes a number of photographs of the building and links to other sites, also in Castellano, about it. Architectural pilgrims, especially those who love the works of Gaudi, will certainly find a visit to the lovely small city of Astorga worthwhile.