As in the case of all the cities dealt with in this Series, I have prepared a brief historical sketch of Leon, Burgos, and Salamanca. Their early history is largely of a speculative and debatable character, and much of it has been learnedly discounted by modern writers. Let me explain at once, that while recounting incidents which may be suspected of merely traditional origin, I neither accept nor reject the criticism of these recent historians, and if I do not quote their conclusions, it is because they are often too conflicting to be embodied in so slight a work. I would also add, that a quotation is not to be taken as a blind acceptance of the accuracy of the dicta or as a recognition of the writer as an absolute authority. In conclusion, I may explain that I have dealt more briefly with the architecture of these Gothic cities than with the Moorish monuments of Seville, Cordova, and Granada, my reason being that the general reader is more familiar with Gothic and Renaissance styles than with the rarer work of the Arabs. To Mr. E. B. d’Auvergne I offer my grateful acknowledgment of the assistance he has rendered me in the compilation of the text, and my thanks are also due to Señor J. Lacoste and Messrs. Hauser y Menet for their permission to reproduce many of the photographs which appear in this volume. A. F. C. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. LEON 1 II. BURGOS 33 III. SALAMANCA 96 ILLUSTRATIONS LEON SUBJECT PLATE General View of Leon, 1 View from the Cemetery, 2 Cathedral: View from the North, 3 Cathedral: General View, 4 Leon Cathedral, 5 Cathedral: Door of the Cross-Aisle (restored), 6 Leon Cathedral, 7 Lateral Façade of the Cathedral, 8 Longitudinal Section of the Cathedral, 9 Cathedral: Stained Glass Window of the Thirteenth Century, 10 Cathedral: Stained Glass Window of the Fourteenth Century, 11 Plan of the Cathedral, 12 Cathedral: Central Gate of the Principal Porch, 13 Cathedral: Right Gate of the Principal Porch, 14 Cathedral: Detail of the Lower Part of the Principal Portico, 15 Cathedral: Arch of the Central Portico, 16 Cathedral: Arch of the Right Door, 17 Cathedral: Left Gate of Principal Porch, 18