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Paradoxplace Spain Photo & History Gallery Links Camino de Santiago / Camino Frances Photo and History Galleries Spanish & Portuguese Abbey, Monastery, Mosque and Cathedral Links
BASILICA DE SAN ISIDORO, LEÓN
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The Basilica de San Isidoro (aka the Royal Collegiate Church of St Isidore of Seville) dates from the days of King Sancho the Fat in the mid 900s. It contains the reliquary of San Isidoro (below below) and some of the tombs of the early Kings and Queens of León, which are housed in a vaulted pantheon with one of Europe's earliest surviving painted ceilings (below). "Some of" because this beautiful place was occupied by Napoleon's French Army on 30 December 1808, and they not only looted it and sold most of its treasures, but they also smashed many of the royal tombs and scattered the contents around.
San Isidoro (of Seville) lived in Visigoth (pre-Islamic) Spain from 560 - 636 (76) and is recognized as a Doctor of the Church. He was Archbishop of Seville for 30 years and probably the greatest church scholar and promoter of scholarship of his time and to emerge from Spain. He wrote the first known encyclopaedia in western civilization (called the Etymologiae). He shares a place with Saint Bede the Venerable in Dante's Divine Comedy.
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All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-08 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.
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