July 20, 2021 marks the 800th anniversary of the laying of the first stone in the Burgos cathedral and that is why the VIII Centennial Foundation of the Cathedral. Burgos 2021. Its vocation is to unite the city of Burgos around the celebration of this anniversary, through the development of various cultural and social projects over four years.
But its objective goes further. The celebration of this event should be the foundation on which a second transformation can be reformulated to prepare Burgos to face the challenges of the 21st century. The Foundation, promoted by the Archdiocese of Burgos, the Metropolitan Council, the Chamber of Commerce of Burgos and under the Honorary Presidency of His Holiness MM. the Kings of Spain, It is formed, with an inclusive spirit, by all the institutions and organizations of the city and province.
Together with the Cathedral of Burgos, a fundamental pillar around which the celebration of the Centennial is structured, the Foundation focuses its attention on a series of axes of vital importance in the cultural dimension of Burgos and its province; on the one hand, the the Atapuerca sites, the Camino de Santiago and the Las Loras Geopark, recognized by UNESCO; on the other, the Spanish language, the Camino del Cid, the Consulate of the Sea and the VIII Centenary of the death of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
The Cathedral and its friendly projects
Built on the old Romanesque cathedral of the late 11th century, the new Gothic cathedral of Burgos began to be built in 1221. It was King Ferdinand III the Saint and Bishop Don Mauricio, who had been educated in Paris, who began this construction according to the new European Gothic style. This temple presented, from its origins, a clear international character and if the Cathedral of Burgos stands out for something, it is because it presents a rich succession of artistic styles that go from Classic Gothic to Baroque to generate a building of many styles, but extremely harmonious. which deserved the declaration by UNESCO of World Heritage in 1984. Thus, its structure responds to the purest French models, being the first Spanish classical Gothic building. From the 13th century is the rich sculptural decoration of its facades of the Sarmental, the Coronería and the Cloister. From the middle of the 15th century and coinciding with one of the most brilliant periods in Burgos, dozens of artists came to this city from Germany, Flanders, France …, such as the Colonia family or Felipe Bigarny. The flamboyant Gothic period stands out very notably in the temple. At this time artists such as Gil de Siloé, Diego de Siloé, Simón de Colonia and Juan de Vallejo, author of the dome, the summit of the Gothic tradition, the Renaissance and Mudejar art also stand out. The set of pieces linked to other arts that are preserved in the temple is also notorious. Within the collection of paintings, the series from Flanders stands out, and which together with the cathedral tapestries are one of the most outstanding European sets of works of Flemish origins. Italian Renaissance painting is also represented in works such as ‘The Virgin with the Child’, by Sebastiano del Piombo, and in the ‘Magdalena’, by Giovanni Pietro Ricci, a disciple of Da Vinci. We must not forget the importance of the bars and western and eastern textile products from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, as well as the series of stained glass windows that from the end of the 13th century give the temple light of color. Likewise, the basilica treasures manuscripts from the 9th century, which are preserved in the Cathedral Archive, in addition to compositions and musical instruments, among which its collection of organs stands out, some of which are among the oldest in Spain.
Burgos 2021, the milestone where culture and art meet
Burgos will be the cultural epicenter of Europe in 2021. For this, preliminary work is being carried out with careful top-level programming. Thus, the Cathedral of Burgos is becoming a privileged auditorium for unique and unpublished concerts. Performing on this stage is what has made it possible for companies such as the Teatro Real’s Titular Choir and Orchestra to have performed Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ at the Seo. During these months, the temple has also housed the Orfeón Donostiarra, the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra, the Freixenet Orchestra of the Reina Sofía School of Music or the pianist Antonio Baciero. Through various exhibitions the Burgos and national heritage is being disseminated. The exhibition dedicated to recovering the figure of the merchant Cristóbal de Haro and the importance of Burgos and its society in the expedition of Magellan and Elcano stands out. To this are added others focused on flamenco tapestries, the millenary art of Talavera ceramics, the religious sculpture by Venancio Blanco and the contemporary one by Cristóbal Gabarrón, the painting by José Gutiérrez-Solana and Mateo Cerezo, the history of the diocese of Burgos and the Camino de Santiago through the province, the recreation of Burgos in 1921.
The Cathedral has also become the home of literature and critical and reflective thinking. Authors of the stature of Javier Sierra, Julia Navarro, Juan Manuel de Prada, Carmen Posadas, Emilio Lara, Isabel San Sebastián, Elvira Roca Barea, Peridis or José Luis Corral have passed through the chapels of the Constables and Santa Tecla in a cycle coordinated by the also writer Antonio Pérez Henares. But the VIII Centenary is open to all the arts, including performing arts, such as theater and street theater, dance or opera, which means that Burgos is hosting shows typical of the great capitals that deviate to the shores del Arlanzón to be part of the 800 years of the Cathedral.
Event of exceptional public interest
The VIII Centennial Foundation of the Cathedral. Burgos 2021 considers it essential to promote citizen participation within its actions and link all sectors of Burgos society interested in sharing this exciting initiative for the VIII Centenary of our cathedral. The VIII Centenary project has obtained the unanimous support of all political groups, who have supported it from the beginning, both at the local, regional, national and even continental levels.
This political consensus around this event of Exceptional Public Interest adds to the social support. Thus, this initiative has caused an unprecedented scenario in the social and cultural sphere, which has understood that it is an inclusive city and province project. This unit also transcends the business sphere, in such a way that more than a year after the 800th anniversary of the Seo, the anniversary already has the support of almost forty companies, including entities listed on the Ibex-35 and multinationals .
Both donations and advertising are associated with significant tax benefits, as provided by the expressly created inter-administrative commission. In addition, cultural institutions of the prestige of the Teatro Real, the Fundación Las Adades del Hombre or the Fundación Albéniz have decided to participate in the programming of the VIII Centennial, as well as other entities that work for the employment and inclusion of people with disabilities, such as the ONCE Foundation . A close relationship has also been established with administrations such as the Castilla-La Mancha Community Board and the Toledo City Council.
Likewise, thanks to the agreements sealed during the first stages of the foundation, the VIII Centenary has the guarantee of its diffusion throughout Spain, thanks to the collaboration with 28 news companies and multimedia groups, among which are the most important.
A city project
The construction of the Cathedral was a transformative milestone that changed the city and projected it to the artistic and cultural avant-garde of its time. La Seo transformed the city and its people. Commerce and the arts changed. New trades and monumental constructions appeared. Thus, the temple sought a new prosperity hitherto unknown and allowed the opening and expansion of the city hand in hand with trade and artistic manifestations. The celebration of this event should be the foundation on which a second transformation can be reformulated to prepare Burgos to face the challenges of the 21st century.
If something characterizes the VIII Centenary, it is its participatory spirit. Thus, the first edition of ‘The Cathedral by candlelight’ was a milestone that brought together some 50,000 people in the areas surrounding the Cathedral and the streets of the upper historic center. Musical performances and careful lighting made this event a fixed date on the autumn calendar. La Seo is the center of attention of everything that happens around it, be it an unprecedented concert of bells or a recreation of how the carters of the Sierra Burgos transported the limestone of Hontoria and Cubillo to erect the Cathedral. But also the basilica and its architectural landmarks have become the best possible setting for theatrical and dance stages and, of course, a unique setting for any sporting event.
7 moments you have to live in 2021
1. THE RETURN
Burgos will host the start of La Vuelta in August 2021 with an individual time trial starting and finishing at the Cathedral. The second will be a flat stage that will cross the province, a prelude to a third that will end in one of the Burgos peaks most appreciated by cycling fans.
2. THE AGES OF MAN
The 25th edition of The Ages of Man will stop at Burgos Cathedral. It is a special edition that will combine the 800 years that the temple will fulfill with the artistic legacy associated with the Jacobean route, which has one of the essential stops on the French road in Burgos.
3. GUSTAVO DUDAMEL
Gustavo Dudamel will conduct a unique and very special concert in front of one of the great orchestras on the world scene inside the Cathedral of Burgos. Winner of several Grammys, the Venezuelan musician will be one of the highlights of the events around July 20.
4. NEW LIGHTING
With the sunset, the Cathedral of Burgos will look better than ever. Hundreds of spotlights will highlight the most outstanding sculptural and architectural elements of its façade, as well as its stained glass windows.
5.JAVIER CAMARENA
The Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, recognized as the best opera vocalist in 2021, will offer a recital at the main altar of the temple, accompanied only by a piano.
6. BURGOS 1921
A detailed exhibition with multiple locations will recall how the Castilian capital lived through the VII Centenary and what Burgos society was like a hundred years ago.
7. ANTONIO LÓPEZ
The main facade of the Cathedral will release new doors in keeping with the majesty of what is sheltered behind them. A high-level commission assumed by one of the figures of Spanish art: the hyper-realistic painter and sculptor Antonio López.
International projection
Just as the Cathedral anchors its origins in the architectural avant-garde of Île-de-France and the surrounding Gallic cities or in Germanic stylistic finery, the foundation has looked beyond the Pyrenees to establish links that recall those trade routes in which the Burgos merchants forged their fortune, their power and their influence. That is why the VIII Centenary project landed in the heart of Europe, in the European Parliament, in Brussels, with the exhibition ‘Burgos: Land of origins’. The VIII Centenary also traveled to Paris, at the Forum of Culture. There the foundation exhibited its cultural and patronage project. In addition, the foundation champions the creation of a network of Gothic cathedrals, which includes temples from four other countries: Milan (Italy), Cologne and Naumburg (Germany), Canterbury or York (Great Britain) and Budapest (Hungary).
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