The cartuja is a monastery a short distance from Burgos. The monks of the Carthusian order.
From the inner cloister you pass into a chapel where Juan II and Isabel de Portugal, parents to Isabel la Católica, are buried.
Once inside you walk toward the main altar, passing through doors. Over the doors it reads: "Felix Coeli Porta" ("Happy Doors of Heaven").
The phrase comes from a latin text. From the first stanza:
Hail, star of the sea,
Nurturing Mother of God,
And ever Virgin
Happy gate of Heaven.
This entrance reflects the Marianist admiration for the Virgin Mary and her role in the Christian story. From this gate you move toward an elaborate altar piece built in the gothic style.
The elaborate altarpiece contains scenes from the birth and life of Christ. Sculpted by Gil de Siloé and gilded by Diego de la Cruz. I will show you two that are particularly interesting. First, the Last Supper.
At the feet of the Savior you see the figure of the woman anointing Christ's feet. She is placed at the forefront of the scene, paralleling the saving ordinance of the Sacrament with her sacrifice of her most prized possession, the anointing oil that would prepare Christ for his death and burial. I love the detail here:
Her gentle caress of the Savior's foot communicates love and admiration, a recognition of who He was and the power that was in him. You will notice to the right the small container that contained the precious anointing oil.
The second detail proffers an unusual interpretation of the Annunciation and the engendering of Christ into the Virgin Mary. In most works there is the suggestion of her impregnation by the Holy Ghost with simple, light lines of gold extending from Heaven towards her virgin womb. In this representation those same rays appear...
... however, sliding along those golden rays is a small child figure! An interesting conception of the incarnation of God.
Finally, the elaborately carved tombs of Juan II and Isabel de Portugal. The sculptor was the famed Gil de Siloé whose work is considered to be the finest from the 15th century.
The elaborate details carved in alabaster represent the virtues and the prophets. Here are some examples:
Left, Virgin de la Leche; Right, Abraham's Sacrifice of Isaac and the Angel stopping him.
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