The figure of a modern astronaut carved into the facade of the entrance to Salamanca Cathedral in Spain stands out from everything else and impresses all who pass by. This is because the church, which has a Baroque and Gothic style, was built between 1513 and 1733.
The figure is located on a column at the entrance to the New Cathedral, showing an astronaut with boots, a helmet, and what appears to be a breathing system on his chest.
But how could someone have sculpted an astronaut so perfectly long before they actually existed?
The image has given rise to various theories involving time travel or supernatural events as possible explanations. However, the enigmatic astronaut of Salamanca Cathedral seems to have a very simple explanation.
Apparently, this happened very recently, when the cathedral was restored in 1992. The astronaut sculpture is believed to be an addition by the sculptor Miguel Romero, and was part of an old tradition where restorers often include some modern element in the decorations of ancient monuments.
And the astronaut in Puerta de Ramos wasn't the only addition: not far from the astronaut we can see a dragon eating a cone of ice cream.