Built into the old ramparts of Avila, this cold, austere cathedral and fortress (begun in 1099 under Alfonso VI) bridges the gap between the Romanesque and the Gothic and, as such, enjoys a certain distinction in Spanish architecture. One local writer compared it to a granite mountain. So heavy is the fortified church that a veritable forest of columns in the local mottled red and white stone supports it from within, obscuring many sight lines. Nine hundred years of entombments have filled every nook and cranny of the voluminous cathedral. Dutch artist Cornelius designed the seats of the choir stalls in the Renaissance style. Behind the main chapel is Vasco de Zarza’s masterpiece: the beautifully sculpted tomb of Bishop Alonso de Madrigal—nicknamed “El Tostado” (“the toasted one”) for his dark complexion. A prominent theologian of his day, he was the powerful bishop of Avila from 1449 to 1455. A side altar, naturally enough, honors local celebrity Santa Teresa. Be sure to stop in the Capilla del Cardenal to marvel at the polychrome wooden statues of saints created by anonymous artists in the 12th and 13th centuries.