Summer solstice at the Miraflores Charterhouse
Today, on the #summersolstice, attention is drawn to the highly precise play of light that takes place in the Charterhouse of Miraflores, specifically on the tomb of John II and his wife Isabella of Portugal. As the sun moves forward in the morning, the figures of the four evangelists surrounding the star-shaped tomb, with its eight points, are gradually illuminated. This phenomenon reaches its most spectacular moment at the summer solstice, coinciding with the feast day of Saint John, the monarch’s patron saint. At that time, the intensity of the light allows a privileged view of this Gothic sculptural ensemble. Work is being carried out together with the Complutense University of Madrid at the Charterhouse of Miraflores to gain a better understanding of the scope of these light phenomena, which have already been identified in other places such as the Seu of Mallorca or Cuenca Cathedral at different times of the year. At the Charterhouse itself they have even been recorded during the winter solstice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lcs-sRxihY.
Texts and Images © Cortes Tardogóticas /IPCE