Salamanca has two Cathedrals which share a wall. They're very impressive and absolutely beautiful. One is the "Old Cathedral" and dates back to the twelfth century, constructed between Romanesque and Gothic styles, while the other is known as the "New Cathedral" and is from the transition between Baroque and Gothic.
Most cathedrals I've visited are very dark inside, and even during the early afternoon, they're lit by hundreds of artificial lights. Both the cathedrals (especially the new one) were much brighter, and had only a few spotlights to accentuate different parts of the interior, and were easily navigable by only the natural light.
There were beautiful carvings, and I loved getting to see the cathedrals from above- a very different perspective than I've been used to!
One of my favorite details was the cowardly lion at the entrance. It was very unexpected, and I couldn't find a single sign mentioning it, but it was fun to see what I think the first appearance of the beloved Wizard of Oz character.
The ceilings were still my favorite part, and were absolutely break taking.
Certain parts of the cathedral were very decidedly baroque, while others were very gothic. It was interesting seeing how the architectural and decorative styles changed through the centuries.
The crowning part of the much simpler and smaller Old Cathedral was a massive altar piece with some 53 scenes from Christ's life. They were beautifully detailed paintings, and I loved that the center piece of them all was Christ extending mercy to the woman taken in adultery.
This is the spot where the university students would come after receiving their PhDs. They would sit in this chair and place their feet against the feet of the tomb here for good luck.
The Salamanca cathedrals were amazing. I really loved them, and I think while Burgos's cathedral remains my favorite, these are definitely right up there with Burgos and Toledo's cathedrals.
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