Spain Guide
Castilla y León and La Rioja
Catedral
Opening time: Tues– Sun: April– Sept 10am–2pm & 5–8pm; Oct– March 10am–2pm & 4.30–6.30pm
Price: €3
The Catedral, enclosed within the ruined citadel at the far end of town, is now shining very brightly after restoration. Begun in 1151, its mainly Romanesque body is largely hidden behind an overbearing Renaissance facade, above which the building's most striking feature – a Byzantine-inspired dome similar to that of the Catedral Vieja at Salamanca – perches in incongruous splendour. However, it springs a surprise inside, with its famous carved choirstalls, which depict devout scenes and mystical animals as well as lusty carryings-on between monks and nuns.
Access to the cathedral is through the associated Museo Catedralicio, on the other side of the cloisters, which houses the city's celebrated "Black Tapestries", a series of fifteenth-century Flemish masterpieces woven in stunning detail.
Next to the cathedral are the impressive moated remains of the Castillo, now laid out as a shady park; wander round the back for majestic views over the surrounding countryside and Río Duero, along with Zamora's burgeoning suburbs.