Cathedral of the 16th century seen astronaut. Where does the image of an astronaut come from in a medieval cathedral? Pharaohs had tanks and submarines

Spain has a city called Salamanca. Among its attractions, the central place is occupied by the city's cathedral. The building was built in 1102, it is decorated with many sculptures on the outside and is an excellent example of medieval architecture. But among the figures there is one that invariably attracts the attention of tourists.


Usually the guides say that it was the restorer who depicted the modern great astronaut. And each guide usually has his own version. Indeed, in 1990, restoration work took place in the cathedral, and at that time the exterior decoration was also updated.

But there are some interesting points here. For example, the vicar of the cathedral, Rodrigo Solanelles, considers this figure not an astronaut, but a traditional monster, with which the outer walls of the temple were decorated in the Middle Ages. And when restoring the temple, only the old approved canons were used, which do not allow liberties like an attempt to perpetuate modern heroes.

There is another version, which is supported by the professor of the University of Salamanca, Esteban Sansa. His students managed to find an engraving in the university library, which clearly shows the entire decoration of the cathedral, along with the figure of an astronaut. The engraving was made at the beginning of the 19th century. That is, this strange sculpture could not have appeared later than the end of the 18th century. Among the library manuscripts there is also a record of the meeting of the monks of Salamanca with creatures whose skin was covered with other skin. This monster could become the prototype of the sculpture. These records date back to the Renaissance.

The figurine is a long-known artifact in the world. She is in Spanish city Salamanca - decorates one of the cathedrals.

Astronaut! On the wall of the ancient Spanish Cathedral of St. Jerome, built in 1102! Such notes with corresponding photos have been discussed in the blogosphere for more than 10 years.

The first thing that comes to mind is photoshop, but no, the astronaut is real. The figurine is a long-known artifact in the world. It is located in the Spanish city of Salamanca - it adorns one of the cathedrals.

True, not the one that was built in 1102 - the so-called Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja), but the later one - the New (Catedral Nueva), built between 1513 and 1733. The difference of almost 500 years, I must say, is unprincipled. And at that time there were no astronauts. And yet it is on the wall of the cathedral. Yes, even in boots with corrugated soles ...

The sensation took place after modern photo optics made it possible to distinguish small details of magnificent architectural decoration at a high altitude, previously inaccessible to tourist cameras.

It was then that the tourists saw among the mythical creatures in the bas-relief of someone who definitely cannot be there. And as a result, historians and museum workers are forced to get nervous and answer the simple-minded questions of perplexed tourists. Worst of all, the specialists cannot work out a single version of what happened and do not coordinate their answers with each other.

For the first time the figure of an astronaut was noticed in 1995, Sergio Arrela, deputy director of the museum of the cathedral, said that in 1990 the sculptor-restorer Miguel Romero allowed himself a little "artistic prank."

This was the most radical answer - the other answerers hesitate to go that far. Because the next question for Signor Arella will be “how many little pranks are allowed by the“ sculptors-restorers” and how much creative freedom is given during the“ restoration ”?”

This is an extremely painful issue, since the entire architectural ensemble of the center of Salamanca, including, of course, the cathedral, back in 1985, a few years before the restoration began, was taken under the protection of UNESCO as a universal heritage, that is, recognized as one of the absolute masterpieces.

All documents on the restoration of monuments of this level undergo many approvals, including international expertise. So just add to the garland medieval figures an astronaut or anyone else is impossible.

Realizing that such slippery questions cannot be avoided, the vicar of the cathedral, Rodrigo Solanelles, takes a diametrically opposite position:

“The decoration of any Catholic church is built in strict accordance with the church canon developed in the early Middle Ages. There simply can’t be any “pranks” by individual artists - the diocese will never approve a heretical element of decor.”

In other words, there is no astronaut on the side gates of the cathedral, and anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. According to the priest, these are monsters common for the Middle Ages, which are innumerable outside on Catholic churches. They, they say, symbolize the fiends that a person can encounter outside the temple, but they have no way inside the cathedral.

However, the vicar's remarks are not the strangest thing in this story. Esteban Sansa, professor of philosophy at the University of Salamanca, is convinced that the figure was made no later than the 18th century, when the new building of the cathedral was being completed. He claims that the astronaut is in the engraving of the 19th century. But only now the engraving was not presented to the public.

By the way, the 1995 photo shows the astronaut with a completely intact face, and in the pictures taken two years later, his face is seriously damaged by the inexorable passage of time.

Perhaps it is these contradictions that fuel interest in history, which is not so mysterious. After all, in principle, the placement of certain symbols that characterize the era during which restoration is being carried out is a very common practice. The only funny thing is that the sculptor simply chose a space theme.

If you have ever watched "science" shows on Ren-Tewi, filmed in the style of vinaigrette (about everything and nothing), then you have probably seen "evidence" showing the presence of modern technology in antiquity, as a result of human contact with aliens from other planets, all these "wonderfulness" easily crumble as soon as you start to understand all this.

One well-known such "evidence" is a photograph of a figure of an astronaut carved on a 16th-century Spanish cathedral in Salamanca.

This cathedral, known as the Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral), has a modern-day figurine of what looks like an astronaut in a space suit on its north entrance façade.

The figurine, in a space suit complete with tubes, breathing apparatus, helmet and thick-soled boots, shows a picture of what a person looks like in space.

Photos of this astronaut have been circulating on the Internet for many years, causing much debate. There are also skeptical commentators who believe that the photo is fake, others that the astronaut was added in photoshop, while supporters of outlandish conspiracy theories speak of alien invasion/visiting in the distant past.

However, as is the case with most of these photographs, there is a more real and understandable story behind the carvings on the facade of the Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral). And this does not apply to aliens from other planets.

The Spanish city of Salamanca is one of the oldest university cities in the world and, to this day, many historical monuments. Of particular note is the aforementioned New Cathedral, which was built between the 16th and 18th centuries.

The construction of this cathedral began in 1513 and continued until 1733.

It is the second largest cathedral in Spain in terms of size, and its 93 meter high bell tower is also one of the highest in this country. Concerning architectural style, in which the structure is made, then it includes elements of several directions at once: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque.

The official opening date is 1733, when the cathedral was consecrated. In 1887, by royal decree, it was given the status of a national monument. In 1988 Old city Salamanca, on the territory of which the New Cathedral is located, was recognized as a site world heritage UNESCO.

It is known that the construction of Catedral Nueva began in 1513 by order of King Ferdinand, who was married to the famous Queen Isabella.

The vaulted stone ceilings inside the cathedral and the walls are decorated with numerous statues,

paintings.

The pride of any Catholic cathedral is a richly decorated organ.

Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral) for its almost 500 summer history literally filled to the "ceiling" with various stained-glass windows, statues, frescoes, crypts, etc., both on religious themes and reflecting the historical events of past centuries.

But one element in the design looks out of place and extremely untimely. At the north entrance of the cathedral, perched high among decorative carvings, is a tiny modern astronaut floating in space that can only be seen with good optics.

Over the centuries, the cathedral suffered severe damage that eventually required the initiation of a restoration project. One of the artists, Geronimo Garcia, who was in charge of the project, decided to add elements of modernity. During the restoration of the Cathedral of Catedral Nueva, in 1992, this “alien” astronaut was added, the figure of which (like many others) was made by a master named Miguel Romero. As you can see, the author of this masterpiece is well known)) Spanish artist Jose Miguel Alguer Romero, a rather unusual personality, well known in Spain, here are a couple of works to understand his style.

Until 1992, there was not one report about the presence of this fresco-cosmonaut at the cathedral, not in one source!

The restoration carried out in 1992 was timed to coincide with the Catholic forum Las Edades del Hombre held in 1993, the exhibition of cathedrals organized by this foundation is a kind of religious propaganda for the sacred art of Castile and León (Spain). The initiative comes from the popular writers of this country - José Jimenez Lozano and José Velichia, they were able to attract both private and public funds.

The foundation has existed from 1988 to 2016, during which time several of the most beautiful cathedrals in Spain have been restored.

According to tradition, during the restoration of cathedrals, the masters often added something from their modern era, as a symbol of the time when restoration work was being carried out. In this case, the restorer(s) chose the figure of an astronaut.

In the photo: vandals have ruined the face of this landmark at the recently restored cathedral.

Such additions to each restoration are in keeping with local traditions, although there are some experts who are critical of such initiatives. Another unusual relief is located very close to the astronaut and is located at the same entrance to the "New" Cathedral.

This is a figure of a faun, which is different from the others, because in his left paw he holds a waffle cup with three scoops of ice cream. A faun who loves ice cream is another example of a restorer's fantasy from 1992. (traces of vandalism are also visible here)

Similar jokes from restorers are found not only in Spain. In France, during the restoration in 1993-95. of the Catholic Bethlehem Chapel, which is the pearl of the Gothic architecture of the late Middle Ages, the chief architect Frans Gwenelo Congnard instructed the stone carver Jean-Louis Boisel to make 28 figures of gargoyles, four of which he made very far from the usual monsters of past centuries, they clearly resemble characters from Hollywood phantom x / f and Japanese anime. These modern monsters fell in love local residents and attract tourists.

There are many such examples. Here's another one: during the construction of the Washington Cathedral in the 1980s, perched high on the northwest tower of the Cathedral, the head of Darth Vader from " Star Wars”, the head was sculpted by Jane Carlor Carpenter, and carved in stone by Patrick J. Plunkett.

The explanation for why the Spanish restorers chose the astronaut is that he was a symbol of the 20th century, moreover, in the midst of restoration work, in 1992 NASA announced that it had enrolled Spaniard Michael Lopez-Alegria in the astronaut squad, he was born in the area of ​​Madrid, not far from this cathedral, the Spaniards were very proud of this event, all the media in Spain wrote about it at that time. Michael Lopez-Alegria was born May 30, 1958 in Spain, considers himself a Castilian, emigrated to California as a child. He is a graduate of Harvard University. He joined the US Navy, where he received a bachelor's degree in systems engineering in 1980, graduated from the US Naval Academy, was a member of the Air Intelligence Squadron of the 2nd Fleet (VQ-2) in the company - "Spain".

Michael Lopez-Alegria - Spanish-American astronaut; veteran of three Shuttle missions and one mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He is known for having completed ten spacewalks during his space career, currently ranks second in the amount of duration of spacewalks, has the third longest stay in space among NASA astronauts (215 days on the ISS) Lopez-Alegria in opening time Space in the Orlan spacesuit, installs the Russian BTN-M1 device (neutron detector) on the ISS body - February 26, 2007.

On the old cathedral in Salamanca, located in Castile and León at the northern entrance to the new cathedral, where on the portal at the “Ramos doors” (Puerta de Ramos), directly opposite the palace of Anaya, hovers at a high altitude in “weightlessness” ... modern an astronaut in full "combat" gear - a spacesuit with a breathing hose, a helmet, an instrument box on his chest, and boots with grooved soles. This figure even received an unofficial name - "Holy Cosmonaut".

Where did this astronaut on the wall of the old cathedral come from? The explanation is quite simple: in 1992, during the restoration of Ramos's dilapidated doors from time to time, one of the restorers, a certain Miguel Romero, showed a creative initiative by decorating the wall with a similar figure. Further versions differ: someone believes that the restorer thus decided to play a joke. Others have a more pragmatic explanation: Romero, having introduced a modern element to the facade of an ancient temple, wanted to perpetuate in a similar way a landmark event for the twentieth century - the conquest of space by man. But who exactly the figure represents, there are many versions. As a stone character appear: the first cosmonaut of the planet, Russian Yuri Gagarin, the first American astronaut John Glenn, the first American to go into outer space Edward White, the first American astronaut Neil Armstrong to walk on the surface of the moon, etc.

Nevertheless, many people tend to believe that the figure of the astronaut was originally located here, and, therefore, has a mysterious origin that goes beyond ordinary logic. They say that the joke of the restorers in this case is excluded for a number of reasons. Firstly, the image of the astronaut is fixed on engravings of the 19th century. Secondly, in the ancient manuscripts of Salamanca, there is allegedly information about the meetings of the monks with creatures from other worlds. Thirdly, restoration always follows the canons approved in the Middle Ages, and in the case of an object that is a UNESCO heritage, additional expertise, approvals and permits are required. They also say that and this is not an astronaut at all, but some kind of hellish offspring, many of which "dwell" on the walls, facades and capitals of the columns of ancient European temples.

To prove the "wonderful" version of the origin of the astronaut, a number of other similar finds are cited. For example, images of astronauts on Japanese netsuke, a model aircraft from an ancient Egyptian tomb, Inca gold "airplanes", an image of Darth Vader on the National Cathedral in Washington, as well as an image of a man with a laptop and mobile phone on the mosaic of the Kyiv Koltsevaya metro station in Moscow, built back in 1954.

It must be said that on the wall of the Cathedral in Salamanca there are other, less well-known, but no less curious figures. For example, the figure of a smiling dragon with three scoops of ice cream. Or a boy with not childishly developed manhood.

Guides and guides are in no hurry to convince fans of the "wonderful" version of the appearance of an astronaut on the wall of an ancient temple. After all, most importantly, intrigued tourists come here, replenishing the local treasury.

And finally, here's to you figure from the walls of Scottish Paisley Abbey, located near Glasgow, in which all the statues of gargoyles were removed for the purpose of restoration. Some figures were restored, while others simply had to be made anew. One of their restorers did his best by making a statue of an alien from the movie "Alien".

Here is a gargoyle located on one of the abbeys in Scotland. What's this? "Aliens" visited our planet? Or maybe medieval sculptors depicted aliens this way?

Now we find out...

The gargoyle is located around here:

Photo by REX/Michael McGurk

However, the reason for its appearance is quite prosaic.

In the 90s, all the statues of gargoyles were removed from the walls of the Scottish Paisley Abbey, located near Glasgow, for the purpose of restoration. Some figures were restored, while others simply had to be made anew. One of their restorers did his best by making a statue of an alien from the movie "Alien".

Here was another one misterious story with the image of an astronaut or an alien on an old cathedral a few years ago I walked on the Internet:

This riddle is associated with a relief image of an astronaut on the wall of a cathedral in Spain. Cathedral of St. Jerome was built in 1102 AD. Bishop of Salamanca. Is this a picture of a man from the future? Or is this evidence of technologies that existed as early as 1100?!

Actually, neither. In 1992, the cathedral was restored and additional modern motifs were introduced. The reason for the appearance of these motifs was the tradition of temple builders and restorers, which consists in the free inclusion of modern motifs in old decorations. This way of restoring old buildings can, of course, be regarded as the signature of his work. The architect Hieronimo Garcia chose the astronaut as a symbol of the twentieth century.

However, in essence, this is a distortion of an ancient monument, the introduction of alien content, which is called the modernization of the past. Such embellishment was in wide use in antiquity and in the Middle Ages, but, as we see, it has not died to this day. It concerns not only buildings and other material monuments, but also texts, paintings, films, etc. So, for example, sites on the Internet have given out this fake at face value.

In general, gargoyles are still like this:

A gargoyle is a grotesque figure carved from stone, which was created to drain water from the roofs and side facades of large buildings.

Gargoyles are weird, creepy, obnoxious, and sometimes downright disgusting. For centuries they hang over many streets and cities, silently watching the people swarming below. They carry their silent post for so long that many of us do not even suspect that there is a point in gargoyles. Let's take a look at these stone monsters with a mysterious purpose.

2. Usually we associate them with medieval times (thanks to one well-known hunchback), but they appeared much earlier. These are not just scary statues. Many gargoyles are shaped like certain animals, and this is no coincidence.

The lion and the lioness were favorite images of the creators of gargoyles. For example, at Dornoch Cathedral in Scotland there is such a cute lioness, grinning at passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals used in medieval churches and cathedrals. Later they became popular in the form of gargoyles (there are a lot of them in Pompeii), and they symbolized the sun - their golden mane represented the solar crown of our life.

4. However, in the Middle Ages, the builders of cathedrals used the lion as a symbol of pride, which, of course, was one of the seven deadly sins, and therefore it was worth avoiding. This lion, for example, looks quite proud. It is located at one of the colleges in France. In addition to lions, other types of cats were practically not used in the creation of gargoyles. Cats were a symbol of witchcraft, so they were avoided.

5. Dog. This gargoyle is located on the tower of Philip IV the Handsome in the palace in Dijon, again, in France.

Dogs have always been very popular, and they are rarely looked upon only as pets. They guarded houses at night, so they were considered smart and devoted. On the one hand, it can be assumed that, as gargoyles, the statues of dogs were supposed to guard buildings, but their presence on the roofs is also due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often steal food from people, so in those days their figures were often placed on cathedrals and churches, so that everyone could see that even such a devoted animal as a dog can succumb to the temptations of the devil and become a victim of greed.

6. Wolf.

Although wolves were also considered greedy, they were treated with some respect, as they these animals have always worked together. It was then that the expression "leader of the pack" was born. Wolves were also associated with priests who were supposed to protect people from the devil - thus, the wolf even managed to be in the form of a protector of the lambs of God. The gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a “flock”, because. the architects wanted to divert rainwater in different directions. During a rainstorm, one gargoyle would not be enough. Gargoyles were made elongated so that the water flowed as far as possible from the wall.

7. Eagle. Gargoyle in the form of an eagle at the Cathedral of St. Rumbold in Mechelen, Belgium.

Eagles were the protectors of buildings, in particular, from dragons, for, as the medieval people believed, eagles were the only creatures capable of defeating a winged serpent. It was said that they could heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which had long been the personification of the deity.

8. Serpent. This serpent on a building in Krakow, Poland warns people of the sins of the flesh.

The snake is associated with original sin, and therefore this stone beast can be found in almost all the cathedrals of Europe. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the snake represents envy. They were also considered immortal, which meant that the fight against sins would continue forever.

9. Ram or goat. This gargoyle is located on the cathedral in Barcelona.

Like most of the animals presented here, the goat also had a dual nature in the eyes of medieval Christians. On the one hand, they were considered divine, because. they knew how to find food even among steep cliffs and survive in the most difficult situations. On the other hand, they were considered evil creatures and a symbol of lust - another of the seven deadly sins. And, of course, what animal is usually associated with Satan?

10. Monkey.

Our closest relatives have always been looked at as what will happen to us if something in nature goes wrong. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another mortal sin - laziness. This gargoyle in the form of a monkey is located in Paris, which is not surprising, because the very word "gargoyle" originated in French. Once the word "Gargouille" meant the word "throat", and the word itself came from Latin.

11. Other languages ​​were more accurate. AT Italian the gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", choet literally means "protruding chute". AT German they are called "Wasserspeier" - "water spitters", and the Dutch went even further and nicknamed the gargoyles "waterspuwer" - "spewing water".

12. And by the way, from this Dutch word "waterspuwer" in English came the verb "to spew" (to spew). However, if you do not take into account the "animal" personifications of gargoyles, then all of them were often considered chimeras.

13. This chimera is located at York Cathedral in England, which is generally famous for these same chimeras.

And although we are no longer afraid of these chimeras, the medieval inhabitants were rather superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two parts of different bodies fuse to create an entirely new creature, such as a griffin (or a mermaid, a figure still popular in fountain making).

14. At the Milan Cathedral there is a rather interesting set of chimeras - there Renaissance thinkers stand next to these strange creatures from the imagination of madmen. These chimeras on the roofs of cathedrals and other buildings personified those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different forms of life to get a new one - that is, a chimera.

15. One of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at Notre Dame Cathedral.

16. Even the Disney studio could not ignore these interesting creatures.

17. The legend of the gargoyle. The French had a legend about one of their saints - Romaine. In the 17th century, he was made a bishop and had to fight a creature called the Gargull. It was a dragon-like creature with wings, a long neck, and the ability to spew fire from its mouth.

18. Having conquered the dragon, Romaine could not destroy his head, because. she was tempered by fire from her own mouth. Then Romaine placed her on the walls of the cathedral so that she would scare away evil forces. Well, this gargoyle in the photo is located in the van Saint-Jan Cathedral Basilica.

19. On the walls of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague there are some rather scary gargoyles, but these are no longer animals or even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.

20. With their mouths open, they scream through the centuries, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise it can happen to you! Probably the most terrible gargoyles are still those that remind us of ourselves.

21. This terrible example of the human form in the image of gargoyles is also on the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Moreover, the pipe, through which water flows, sticks out of the mouth so ominously that it seems that it is just an inhumanly long tongue.

24. Again, in Spain - the unfortunate woman at the Cathedral of Lonya in Valencia is captured in a moment of agony.

25. Well, this is a modern gargoyle. And who would you think could do such a miracle? Well, of course, the Germans. Already very literally they perceive the meaning of the word "gargoyle" - to pour water.

By the way…

Gargoyles are mentioned in works of the fantasy genre. Usually presented as living beings with a stone body.

So, in Asprin's series of books about the MIF corporation, one of the secondary characters is a gargoyle (male gargoyle) named Gus. In Pratchett's Discworld books, gargoyles are one of the intelligent races that inhabit it.

AT computer games, whose action takes place in fantasy worlds, gargoyles are also occasionally present. For example, in the games of the Disciples series, gargoyles are former soldiers, unquestioningly obeying their cruel commanders, in the hellfire their bodies became as hard as their hearts.

In the games of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, gargoyles are creatures that perform two functions at once: aesthetic and practical (protective). Gargoyles are also featured in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, where they have the ability to turn to stone to heal from wounds faster.

In addition, there is the eponymous animated series Gargoyles.

Gargoyle is the main boss in Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil. Also in the Heretic/HeXen series of games, they are like very small dragons that have the ability to shoot fireballs.

Gargoyles are also representatives of the world of Harry Potter. They inhabit Hogwarts Castle, and one of them even guards the headmaster's office.

Gargoyles acted as kind, playful characters in the cartoon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Stone sculptures Victor, Hugo and Laverne are the only friends of the hunchback Quasimodo. According to the idea of ​​the cartoon, they decorate Notre Dame Cathedral. In fact, the cathedral is decorated with statues of chimeras.

end of article from http://bigpicture.ru/?p=318531 Let me remind you a couple more interesting revelations: here we exposed, then we found out, well, and found out whether The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -