The outside of the church San Juan de los Reyes, commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella shortly after they unified Spain.
If I understood correctly, these chains are from Christians who were freed from the Muslims when los Reyes Católicos kicked them out. For those of you who don't know, in 1492, not only did Columbus sail the ocean blue, but Ferdinand and Isabella kicked out all the Jews. (And muslims, for that matter, but it doesn't rhyme.) It seems odd to decorate a church with chains, but it is understandable because they chains are symbolic of what los Reyes wanted the church to commemorate.
As in most churches I've seen, Mary is the focus.
The monastery connected to this church was absolutely gorgeous.
I think this is my favorite picture from the whole day.
The lions were symbols of Ferdinand and Isabella, and below it you can see their motto "Tanto monta." It is a Latin phrase which means "they amount to the same" or "equal opposites in balance." They agreed on it before they got married, and it expressed their desire to support each other with equality. I can't imagine the face of Europe, or North and South America, without their marriage and reign.
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