Avila Cathedral, a photo from Avila, Castilla y Leon

Photographer's Note

The Cathedral of Ávila is a Catholic church in Ávila in the south of Old Castile, Spain. It is in the Romanesque and Gothic architectural traditions.

It was planned as a cathedral-fortress, its apse being one of the turrets of the city walls. It is surrounded by a number of houses or palaces, the most important being: the Palace of the Evening, the Palace of the Infant King, and the Palace of Valderrábanos, which were responsible for the defence of the Puerta de los Leales (The Gate of the Loyal Ones) also known as La Puerta del Peso de la Harina (The Flour Road Gate).

It is not known exactly when the construction of the Cathedral began. Two theories exist. One states that Alvar García started its construction in 1091 inside the remains of the Church of the Saviour, which was in ruins as a result of successive Muslim attacks, and that Alfonso VI of Castile raised the money necessary to build it. Other historians believe the Cathedral to be the work of the maestro Fruchel in the 12th century coinciding with the repopulation of Castile led by Raymond of Burgundy.

The first stages of the towers and aisles are from the 13th century and the second stage of the towers, the cloister, the vaults and the flying buttresses are the following century. The cathedral was complete by the 15th century, and in 1475 Juan Guas built the mechanical clock.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Fis2, holmertz, photographer_sg, pierrefonds, ChrisJ, macjake ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

emka (157280) 2019-05-09 23:55

Hello Stephen, Excellent postcard from Avila. Perfect composition, colours and sharpness. Wonderful entrance to the cathedral.

Kind regards MAlgo

ifege (46869) 2019-05-10 0:11

Hi Stephen
This looks like oe of those old inner city cathedals where it is hard or even impossible to get a full frontal view so you've done well providing space for some of the surrounding piazza and buildings. In the large view the deail around the main entrance looks impressive.
cheers
Ian

Fis2 (169659) 2019-05-10 0:33

Witaj Stephen my neighbor today!
A very nice church.
Building makes impression.
I like portal and tower.
Good POV, colors and light.
Good morning.
Krzysztof

holmertz (101946) 2019-05-10 1:09

Hello Stephen,
This is an excellent photo of this beautiful but slightly unusual cathedral. The note describes its long history which explains the odd mixture of styles and original purpose. It's a nice straightforward composition with very good lighting and sharpness.
Best regards,
Gert

Nicou (193806) 2019-05-10 1:12

Hello

Fantastique vue de cette cathédrale quel rendu sur la façade quelle rosace et vue superbe et cette place quelle entrée en fond avec les personnes sur la place superbe.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

lousat (138561) 2019-05-10 2:04

Hi Steph,lucky moment and weather for the best light,so the postcard of Avila cathedral is a masterwork,perfect front view of the facade and fine details too,i like it! Have a nice day and thanks,Luciano

photographer_sg (6059) 2019-05-10 4:05

Hello Stephen
A fine composition with perfect light and sharpness enabling us to appreciate the lovely architecture and the textures of the historic church. The building on the left with its red brick wall and shade adds a touch of colour and the few tourists are evenly spread out in the frame.
Thanks for sharing and have a nice weekend.
Satya

pierrefonds (113534) 2019-05-10 4:09

Hi Stephen,

The presence of the people is animating the scene. The point of view is showing the details of the architecture of the cathedral of Avila. The light is enhancing the beauty of the colours. Have a nice day.

Pierre

dta (98848) 2019-05-10 4:40

Hello Stephen ,
j'aime beaucoup la composition avec la façade sur la gauche et le cadrage parfait .
Une cathédrale d'une élégante sobriété.
Amicalement

Sergiom (117241) 2019-05-10 6:36

Bonjour Stephen,

Une très jolie cathédrale sur une très jolie place. Le point de vue donne l'impression qu'elle est compressée entre deux immeubles ce qui lui donne taille presque humaine.

Amicalement

Serge

rychem (72187) 2019-05-10 8:17

A beautiful view of the cathedral, you are right, both styles are recognizable in different elements of the building, a very good light and composition
regards Ryszard

Tue (91526) 2019-05-10 22:45

Hello Stephen,
A very good shot of the façade of this cathedral, the soft sunlight is very pleasant and reveals the details and decorations around the entrance very well. The few people add a nice and calm mood.
Lars

claudeD (47754) 2019-05-11 5:26

Hello Stephen,

very fine picture of Avila cathedral with an excellent composition, fine sharpness and clarity. I like the view very much.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

ChrisJ (171172) 2019-05-11 21:40

Hello Stephen

The rust red brick facade of the buildit left and the blood red awning add a good warm cold color contrast with the blue sky. Good sharpness and the people provide scale and animate the scene. Tfs!

carlo62 (81265) 2019-05-12 13:22

Ciao Stephen
l'architettura è originale e bella, la tua foto frontale mette in risalto la facciata e la presenza delle persone ci conferma le grandi dimensioni.
Ottima qualità, bei colori.
Saluti
Carlo

BennyV (34734) 2019-05-13 4:42

HEllo Stephen

Lovely view of the old cathedral, a bit serene even. A long time ago, on the first trip abroad me and my (then future) wife made, we spent a couple of nights in an old hotel right across the this cathedral, with a superb view from our bedroom balcony. I do hope the hotel is still in business (and still charging affordable prices). SO far for the memories...

Benny

macjake (98260) 2019-05-13 12:39

Hi Stephen
amazing when you read the note, just how old this is, i can't even imagine a building staying upright and strong for that long...How come homes today aren't like that. amazing. lovely shot too, having the Cathedral stand so tall and posed in the frame, straight on, i like it. cheers
Craig

mkamionka (73290) 2019-05-15 8:49

Hi Stephen,
very impressive cathedral. It feels so massive and yet the decorations are so delicate.
You have captured it in a great light with shadows extending but only covering the square and not touching the church yet.
Buildings on both sides provide some nice framing.
Great reportage,
M

jmdias (114220) 2019-05-16 10:39

stephen

I remember I liked a lot this cathedral. excellent view of the façade with its rustic shapes and touches of adornments. very nice wide view,

take care

jorge