Winchester monarchs such as King Canute and William Rufus. It was once an important pilgrimage centre and housed the shrine of Saint Swithun. The ancient Pilgrims' Way travelling to Canterbury begins at Winchester. The plan of the earlier Old Minster is laid out in the grass adjoining the cathedral. The New Minster (the original burial place of Alfred the Great and Edward the Elder) once stood beside it. The cathedral has a girls choir and a boys choir, which sing on a regular basis at the cathedral. Winchester Cathedral Close contains a number of historic buildings from the time when the
Cuenca Cathedral is dedicated to Mary and to Saint Julian of Cuenca, the second bishop of the Diocese and patron saint of the city. On September 21, 1177, Alfonso VIII of Castile, "The Noble", defeated the Moors after a nine-month siege and conquered the city of Cuenca. The city was made a diocese in 1183, and work began to build the cathedral on the foundations of the main Muslim mosque. Like several other cathedrals built in Castile in the same period, Cuenca Cathedral is said to have been inspired by Eleanor Plantagenet of England, wife of King Alfonso VIII and daughter of