El Transparente

Incredible Detail of the El Transparente at the Cathedral of Toledo

Incredible Detail of the El Transparente at the Cathedral of Toledo

Impressive the inside of Cathedral of Toledo was, it is nothing compared to the highlight of the church. The Cathedral of Toledo is a massive Gothic cathedral which since in the very heart of Spain in Toledo. The designs of this church incorporate designs from various sources, Christian and even Islamic design elements. What the centerpiece of the cathedral would be is the altar area, as it is usually the case. The area around the altar was already very impressive as it is surrounded by walls with intricate designs. However the highlight has got to be the one right behind the altar itself.

Skylight Above the El Transparente at the Cathedral of Toledo

Skylight Above the El Transparente at the Cathedral of Toledo

Behind the altar is the El Transparente. This is an incredibly beautiful piece of sculpture. It features what appears to be the Mother Mary and the Baby Jesus. Right above them is a throng of angels surrounding a pointed star. It is mind boggling how intricate this piece of work is. You can really see that the attention to detail is incredible. Interestingly, some thought has also been put into illuminating this piece of art work naturally. On the top of the sculpture, where it meets the ceiling, a hole was made to allow natural light to come in. The cavity near the hole then fills up with light and scatters it below. There is another hole made near the top of the El Transparente to all some sunlight to hit the tabernacle thereby making the El Transparente “transparent”.

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