Parador Leon Spain

The parador, one of the two with a five star rating in the chain, is a former commandery of the Order of Santiago. This is a religious/military institution, founded in the twelfth century, for the twin purposes of protecting the Pilgrimage Road and providing medical services to pilgrims. Like the crusading orders it requires that its members be of noble birth, and like the Templars and Hospitalers it did not stint itself when it came to creature comforts. The building is a splendind sixteenth century palace, the public rooms are numerous, vast and sumptuous. The bedrooms in the old part are huge and have four poster beds but are considered to be suites and are priced accordingly. If you are willing to book a room in the new part (these are standard parador rooms) you can usually get one for $150 for the night. The only possible minus is that there is generally some sort of function scheduled and the bar, in particular, can get pretty crowded. Leon, once the capital of an independent kingdom, is a bustling city. There are two churches of outstanding interest. The huge Gothic cathedral is built in the French style. Spanish Gothic has a tendecy to be muscular, even squat, but not here. The cathedral soars upward in the style of Chartres and Notre Dame. There is a profusion of stained glass windows, the finest in Spain. And then there is the church of San Isidoro. Originally Romanesque, it was later Gothicized with, however the significant exception of the Pantheon, the burial place of the Kings and Queens of Leon. This is possibly the earliest Romanesque in the province, with beautifully carved capitals. The twelfth century frescoes are absolutely outstanding, depict the usual biblical motifs and, much rarer, scenes of daily life. The Treasury contains two of the finest objects of eleventh century religious art in the world, the chalice of Dona Urraca and a carved ivory reliquary. A twenty mile drive brings one to San Miguel de Escalada. This church, dating from 1050, is the best preserved Mozarabic building in Spain and incorporates an early tenth century chapel, a fascinating blend of Visigothic and Mozarabic styles.