Burgo de Osma Cathedral

Burgo de Osma Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Burgo de Osma Cathedral stands in the small town of El Burgo de Osma, in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain, and a ticket is required, including a visit to the cathedral museum, the cloister and the tower. It is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in the region, and it holds the Beatus of Osma, a famous illuminated manuscript. El Burgo de Osma is best reached by car, and it is about two and a half hours from Madrid.

Visitors often combine the cathedral with the arcaded Plaza Mayor, the medieval walls, the Roman ruins of Uxama on a hill nearby, the Río Lobos Canyon natural park and the castle of Gormaz, one of the largest in Europe. The town is famous for its roast lamb and its winter matanza festivals, celebrating the traditional pig slaughter. The cathedral is active, and visiting pauses during services. Guided tours of the cathedral and museum run at set times and should be booked in summer.

Visiting Burgo de Osma Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in 1232 in the Gothic style on the site of a Romanesque cathedral, and it was completed and expanded over the following centuries, with a baroque tower added in the eighteenth century, which rises about seventy metres. The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. Inside, it holds a Renaissance high altar by Juan de Juni, a carved choir, a pulpit of marble and a Romanesque chapter house. The Chapel of Saint Peter of Osma holds the polychrome stone tomb of the saint, a bishop of the eleventh century, carved in the thirteenth century with scenes of his miracles.

The cathedral museum displays the Beatus of Osma, an illuminated copy of the Commentary on the Apocalypse from 1086, with a famous map of the world, as well as other manuscripts, codices and religious art. The cloister, from the sixteenth century, is Gothic. The cathedral's south portal has carved figures of the apostles and the Virgin. The high altar by Juan de Juni is carved with scenes from the life of the Virgin. The choir's grille is made of wrought iron. The Chapel of Palafox, built in the eighteenth century, holds the tomb of Bishop Juan de Palafox. The tower's viewing platform offers views of the town, the river and the surrounding countryside. The cloister's carvings include plants and figures. The museum's collection also includes Romanesque sculptures and textiles.

Burgo de Osma Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays, with shorter hours in winter. El Burgo de Osma is quiet for most of the year, and it is busiest at weekends and during the matanza festival in winter. Summer is warm, and winter is cold, as the town is at a high altitude. The Río Lobos Canyon is beautiful in spring and autumn. Allow about an hour for the cathedral and museum, and have lunch of roast lamb in one of the town's restaurants. The Castle of Gormaz, a tenth-century Caliphal fortress, is about twenty minutes' drive and is one of the largest in Europe.