Where does the image of an astronaut come from in a medieval cathedral? Mysteries of history. Controversial facts and speculations .: An astronaut from the past 16th century Cathedral with the image of an astronaut
Mysteries of the past constantly surprise people, here is the astronaut at the Cathedral of St. Jerome, another riddle that came from the past. Meet the astronaut at the temple who came to us from the past.
On the wall of the Cathedral of St. Jerome in Spanish city Salamanca, among other decorations, is a very curious and mysterious high relief that came to us from the past, still causing bewilderment and confusion among scientists all over the world. The fact is that medieval masters depicted on it ... an astronaut in a modern spacesuit.
The figure skillfully carved from stone on the Temple of Jerome amazes with the accuracy of all details. On the chest of the "cosmonaut" is depicted a certain device from which hoses go behind his back, very similar to a breathing apparatus, and his legs are shod in boots with thick corrugated soles. Such an image would have been common in the twentieth century, but the cathedral is almost a thousand years old! How could the builders of the temple know what the future conquerors of space would look like?
Skeptics can say that the figure could have been added during the last restoration of the Cathedral of St. Jerome in 1990, and this version is diligently supported by the administration of the temple in order to protect their temple from the increased interest of tourists and the press. However, the cathedral has long been under the protection of UNESCO, and all restoration work with documentation for them is under the strictest control. In such a situation, not a single restorer would dare to "joke" in such a way sculpted an astronaut. Moreover, such liberties are strictly pursued by the laws of the Catholic Church.
The churchmen themselves believe that the cosmonaut is not a mystery of the past, but simply one of the monsters that very often adorned the outer walls of cathedrals in the Middle Ages; for example, it is enough to recall the famous gargoyles on Notre Dame de Paris. Such monsters are called, on the one hand, to guard the temple, and on the other, to show the parishioners what horrors a person can expect outside the walls of the sacred monastery.
Scientists believe that the "cosmonaut" could appear on the wall of the Cathedral of St. Jerome, if not in the Middle Ages, then at the latest, during the last reconstruction of the temple in the 18th century. Even so, from the gallant age to the era of space exploration is still very far away. In confirmation of the venerable age of the figure of the astronaut on the temple is the fact that ancient engravings of the early 19th century were found in the library of one of the universities, where it is clearly visible, and is located in the same place as today.
Medieval manuscripts have survived, which mentions the mysterious meeting of monks with very unusual creatures, "whose skin was hidden under the outer skin." We can only guess what kind of creatures they were, but then it becomes clear the desire of the ministers of the church to leave the memory of such strange events, and possibly to warn the descendants of some unknown danger.
Be that as it may, the "cosmonaut" still keeps his secret and remains the main mystery of the past, watching calmly from the height of the cathedral wall of St. Jerome behind the bustle modern world... I would like to hope that one day this riddle will be solved, and we will find out what secret knowledge was available to people in the "dark", in our opinion, the Middle Ages.
There is a city of Salamanca in Spain. The city's cathedral occupies a central place among its attractions. The building was built in 1102, it is decorated with many sculptures on the outside and is a fine example of medieval architecture. But there is one figure among the figures that invariably attracts the attention of tourists. 
Usually the guides say that it was the restorer who depicted the great modern astronaut. Moreover, each guide usually has his own version. Indeed, in 1990, restoration work took place in the cathedral, and at that time the external decoration was also updated.
But here some interesting points arise. For example, the vicar of the cathedral, Rodrigo Solanelles, considers this figure not to be an astronaut, but a traditional monster, with which the outer walls of the temple were decorated in the Middle Ages. And during the restoration of the temple, only the old approved canons were used, which do not allow liberties, such as an attempt to perpetuate modern heroes.
There is another version, which is supported by the professor at the University of Salamanca, Esteban Sansa. His students managed to find an engraving in the university library, which clearly shows all the decoration of the cathedral, along with the figure of an astronaut. And the engraving was made at the beginning of the 19th century. That is, this strange sculpture could not appear 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 another skin. This monster could have become the prototype of the sculpture. These records date from the Renaissance.
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 decorates one of the cathedrals. True, not the one that was built in 1102 - the so-called Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja), but the later one - New (Catedral Nueva), erected in the period from 1513 to 1733. The difference of almost 500 years, I must say, is not fundamental. And at that time there were no astronauts. And yet it is on the wall of the cathedral. Moreover, in boots with grooved soles ...
The sensation took place after modern photo optics made it possible to distinguish small details of the magnificent architectural decoration on high altitude previously inaccessible to travel cameras.
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It was then that the tourists saw among the mythical creatures on the bas-relief of someone who definitely could not be there. As a result, historians and museum workers are forced to get nervous and answer innocent questions from perplexed tourists. Worst of all, experts cannot work out a single version of what happened and do not agree with each other on their answers.
For the first time the figure of the astronaut was noticed in 1995, Sergio Arrela, deputy director of the cathedral museum, said that in 1990 the sculptor-restorer Miguel Romero allowed himself a little "artistic prank".
This was the most radical answer - other respondents hesitate to go that far. Because the next question for Signor Arella will be "how many little pranks in general were allowed by the" sculptors-restorers "and how much creative freedom is given during the" restoration "?" This is an extremely painful question, since the whole architectural ensemble the center of Salamanca, including, of course, the cathedral, back in 1985, a few years before the start of the restoration, was taken under the protection of UNESCO as a common human property, that is, recognized as one of the absolute masterpieces. All documents for the restoration of monuments of this level are subject to many approvals, including international expertise. Therefore, it is impossible to simply add medieval figures of an astronaut or anyone else to the garland.
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 cannot be any "pranks" of individual artists - the diocese will never approve the heretical element of the decor. "
In other words, there is no astronaut at the side gates of the cathedral, and whoever thinks otherwise is wrong. According to the priest, these are monsters common for the Middle Ages, of which there are innumerable numbers on the outside of Catholic churches. They, they say, symbolize the fiends of hell, with which a person can encounter outside the temple, but they have no way inside the cathedral.
However, the vicar's statements are not yet the strangest 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 on the engraving of the 19th century. But only now the engraving was not shown to the public.
Incidentally, 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 a story that is not so mysterious. Indeed, in principle, the placement of certain symbols that characterize the era during which the restoration is carried out is a very common practice. The only funny thing is that the sculptor simply chose a space theme.
Such a gargoyle is located on one of the abbeys of Scotland. What's this? "Aliens" have visited our planet? Or maybe this is how the medieval sculptors portrayed the aliens?
Now we will find out ...
The gargoyle is located approximately here:
Photo by REX / Michael McGurk
However, the reason for its appearance is completely prosaic.
In the 90s, all the statues of the gargoyles were removed from the walls of the Scottish Paisley Abbey, located near Glasgow, with the aim of restoration. Some of the figures were restored, while others had to simply be redone. One of their restorers did their best by making a statue of an alien from the movie "Alien".
Here's another mysterious story with an image of an astronaut or an alien on an old cathedral, surfed the Internet a few years ago:
This mystery 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 A.D. bishop of Salamanca. Is this really a picture of a person from the future? Or is it a testament to technologies that existed as far back as 1100?!
In fact, neither one nor the other. In 1992 the cathedral was renovated and additional modern motives were added. The reason for the emergence of these motifs was the tradition of temple builders and restorers, which consists in the free inclusion of modern motives in old decorations. This way of restoring old buildings can, of course, be regarded as a signature of your work. Architect Hieronimo Garcia chose the astronaut as a symbol of the twentieth century.
However, in essence, this is a distortion of the ancient monument, the introduction of alien content, which is called the modernization of the past. Such embellishment was widely used in antiquity and the Middle Ages, but, as we see, it has not died until now. It concerns not only buildings and other material monuments, but also texts, paintings, films, etc. So, for example, sites on the Internet gave this fake at face value.
In general, there are also gargoyles like this:
The 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, unpleasant, and sometimes downright disgusting. For centuries, they hang over many streets and cities, silently watching the people swarming below. They have held their silent post for so long that many of us do not even suspect that gargoyles make sense. Let's take a look at these stone monsters with mysterious purposes.
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 lioness were the favorite images of the creators of the gargoyles. For example, at the Cathedral of Dornoch in Scotland there is such a cute lioness grinning at the passers-by below. The lion was one of the most popular non-European animals used during the Middle Ages to decorate 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 sun 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 pretty proud. He is at one of the colleges in France. In addition to lions, other types of felines 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 Fair in the palace in Dijon, again in France.
Dogs have always been very popular and rarely looked at as just 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 the dogs were supposed to guard the buildings, but their presence on the roofs is due to another reason. Dogs are always hungry, and they often stole 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 could 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. 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 image of the protector of the lambs of God. Gargoyles on the roofs also often gathered in a "flock", because the architects wanted to divert rainwater in different directions. During a downpour, one gargoyle would not have been enough. The gargoyles were made elongated so that the water would drain as far away from the wall as possible.
7. Eagle. An eagle-shaped gargoyle at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, Belgium.
Eagles were the defenders 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 can heal themselves by looking directly at the sun, which has long been the personification of 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 cathedrals in Europe. Since the days of Adam and Eve, the serpent has been a symbol of the constant struggle between good and evil. Among the seven deadly sins, the serpent represents envy. They were also considered incalculable, which meant that the fight against sins would go on forever.
9. Sheep or goat. This gargoyle is found at the Cathedral in Barcelona.
Like most of the animals shown 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 rocks 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 were always looked at as what would happen to us if something went wrong in nature. However, they were often considered stupid and lazy. That is why they personified another deadly 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. In Italian, the gargoyle is called "grónda sporgente", which literally means "protruding chute." V German they are called "Wasserspeier" - "spitters of water", 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 language 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 Minster in England, which is generally famous for these very chimeras.
And although these chimeras no longer scare us, the medieval inhabitants were rather superstitious and uneducated, and they considered them terrible creatures. A chimera is born when two parts of different bodies merge to create a completely new creature, such as the griffin (or the mermaid, whose figure is still popular in fountains).
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 rooftops of cathedrals and other buildings represented those who underestimate the power of the devil. Although the devil cannot create life, he can mix different life forms to create a new - that is, a chimera.
15. Some of the most famous gargoyles in the world can be found at the cathedral. Notre dame de paris.
16. Even the studio "Disney" 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 bishop and had to fight a creature called Gargullius. 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, tk. she was tempered by fire from her own mouth. Then Romaine placed her on the walls of the cathedral so that she scared away the evil forces. Well, this gargoyle in the photo is located in the Cathedral Basilica of Van Saint-Jan.
19. On the walls of the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague there are several rather scary gargoyles, only these are no longer animals and not even chimeras. These are people. The moment of damnation is frozen in time for hundreds of medieval souls across Europe.
20. Opening their mouths, they scream through the ages, constantly reminding you that you need to be able to resist the devil, otherwise it can happen to you! Probably the creepiest gargoyles are the ones that remind us of ourselves.
21. This terrible example of the human form in the depiction of gargoyles is also found at the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague. Moreover, the pipe through which water flows down so ominously sticks out of the mouth that it seems that it is just an inhumanly long tongue.
24. Again, in Spain - the unfortunate woman at the Cathedral of Lona in Valencia is captured in a moment of agony.
25. Well, this is a modern gargoyle. And who would you think could have done such a miracle? Well, of course, the Germans. They take the meaning of the word "gargoyle" very literally - pouring water.
By the way…
Gargoyles are mentioned in the works of the fantasy genre. Usually they are presented as living beings with a stone body.
So, in a series of books by Asprin about the MYTH corporation, one of the minor characters is a gargoyle (male gargoyle) named Ges. In Pratchett's books about Discworld, gargoyles are one of the intelligent races inhabiting it.
In computer games, whose action takes place in fantasy worlds, gargoyles are also sometimes present. For example, in the games of the Disciples series, gargoyles are former soldiers who obeyed their cruel commanders without question, their bodies becoming as hard as their hearts in the hellfire.
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 present in Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, where they have the ability to turn to stone to heal faster from wounds.
In addition, there is the eponymous animated series Gargoyles.
In Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the main boss is the gargoyle. Also in the Heretic / HeXen series of games are the likeness of very small dragons that have the ability to shoot fireballs.
Gargoyles are also representatives of the Harry Potter world. They inhabit Hogwarts Castle, and one of them even guards the director's office.
Gargoyles were kind, playful characters in the cartoon "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Stone statues 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 of a couple more interesting revelations: here we exposed, then we found out well and found out whether The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from isThe ancient city of Salamanca is located in the western part of Spain. This is an important cultural and historical center of the country, which since 1985 has become part of World heritage UNESCO. One of the most interesting local attractions is the New Cathedral (Catedral Nueva de Salamanca) located in the center of Salamanca, on the facade of which you can see the figure of a real astronaut.
The construction of the Cathedral of the Ascension of Bogorodintsy began in 1513 and lasted for two centuries. Thanks to such protracted works in the architecture of the Catedral Nueva de Salamanca, you can see styles that are both late Gothic and Baroque. The building of the cathedral is 150 meters long and 50 meters wide; its height under the copal is 80 meters. Despite some shortcomings, the opening of the temple took place in 1733.
Already in 1755 New cathedral Salamanca was in need of restoration work - after the strongest Lisbon earthquake, a 93-meter bell tower slanted, the main dome collapsed, and large cracks can still be seen in the walls of the ancient building.
However, the New Cathedral of Salamanca attracts tourists more not with the beauty of its ancient architecture, but with the mysterious figure of an astronaut, which is part of the pattern located above the entrance. The northern part of the building is always crowded - everyone can look at the image of a man in a spacesuit on the wall of the cathedral.
Guides touring the New Salamanca Cathedral have many interesting versions about how an astronaut in full ammunition appeared on the facade of an ancient building. But the truth is that during the restoration work carried out in 1990, the figure of the astronaut was added by sculptor Miguel Romero. In fact, the main question is why he did it and the real secret lies in him.
The vicar of the New Cathedral of Salamanca categorically rejects the assumption that the figure of the astronaut was a joke and a free interpretation of the sculptor-restorer. The ongoing restoration work was carried out in strict accordance with all medieval canons. In addition, in relation to the UNESCO site, any liberties are simply unacceptable. According to the vicar of the cathedral, the mysterious sculpture is a typical monster of the Middle Ages and any resemblance to real characters is fiction.
It is interesting that in the surviving ancient manuscripts of the New Cathedral of Salamanca there is information that its monks may have had occasion to encounter representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations. Moreover, researcher Esteban Sansa discovered a clear engraving of the facade of the cathedral from the beginning of the 19th century, where exactly the same figure is depicted in the same place.
