When Light Becomes Art
In the ambulatory of the Cathedral, directly behind the High Altar, stands one of the most dazzling creations of European Baroque art: the Transparente, conceived by Narciso Tomé and completed in 1732 under the patronage of Archbishop Diego de Astorga, whose tomb lies opposite its altar.
The intention was as daring as it was poetic: to allow a ray of sunlight to descend from above and fall directly upon the Tabernacle, illuminating it as a symbol of the divine presence. To achieve this, Tomé pierced the vault of the ambulatory and transformed the opening into an explosion of marble, bronze, stucco and light.
The ensemble represents the Apotheosis of the Most Holy Sacrament, with an oval window encircled by archangels through which light floods the Tabernacle. Above, the heavenly Glory gathers saints and angels in an ascending movement that dissolves the boundaries between matter and spirit.
The rear altarpiece, carved in Spanish and Genoese marble, is organised into several tiers. The lower level features the Virgin and Child, alongside reliefs of David and Ahimelech and Abigail before David, where Tomé discreetly left his signature. Above appear sculptures of Saint Leocadia and Saint Casilda, surmounted by the Last Supper; higher still, Saints Eugenius and Ildefonso; and crowning the whole, the Theological Virtues — Faith, Hope and Charity — carved in 1677.
A true total work of art, the Transparente is architecture, sculpture and light combined: a spiritual spectacle in which stone seems to breathe and the clarity of midday is transformed into an act of faith.
