Interior view

In the south of the kingdom of León, the cathedrals of Zamora and Salamanca and the collegiate church of Toro were built around the middle of the twelfth century. All three have a number of features in common, indicating regionalism. The churches have most ostensibly in common that their crossings are each surmounted by a peculiar circular or domed tower known as "Cimborio."

The cathedral of Zamora is the oldest of these churches. Its construction began in 1151, and the consecration took place in 1174. The church has a relatively short nave and two wide aisles. In the east is a transept that projects slightly beyond the straight row of the side aisles. The transept is covered by barrel vault, the aisles by groin vault and the nave by cross vault in late-Romanesque. Over the transept is the dome-tower, featuring 16 side narrow and tall semicircular windows enclosed in and between four turrets. These support two domes, an external one with a slightly pointed top, and an interior one with semicircular shape. Over the turrets are small domes, also with columns and thin windows, and tympani with similar decoration. With its exterior, original scale decoration, the dome it is one of the symbols of the city.

The photo shows a interior view of the central tower.

View the ground plan of the Cathedral, Zamora.