Villamuriel de Cerrato: church-fortress of Santa María la Mayor

in Architecture+Design3 years ago (edited)

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One of the great phrases that Michael Curtiz's masterful film, 'Casablanca', bequeathed to posterity is that, once its main protagonists reconciled, assuming their destinies, they said to each other: 'We will always have Paris'.

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Something similar occurs when it comes to attributing the origins of this spectacular example of a church-fortress, which is the main temple of a municipality in Palencia, called Villamuriel de Cerrato, located just five or six kilometers from the capital -on whose imposing cathedral, we will investigate in the future- and in the heart, it could be said, of one of the harshest and most feared regions by pilgrims of all times: the Gothic Fields; or what is the same, the infinite and terrible Palencia plateau.

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This Shakespearean indecision, this to be or not to be, between the attribution of this architectural jewel to the Knights Templar, to whom popular tradition always alludes, and an officialdom that bets, without further ado, on the bishops of Palencia - who have the support of numerous historians and even the current Councilor for Culture of the City Council of Villamuriel de Cerrato, to whom, by the way, I am enormously grateful, not only for having opened the doors of a temple that I had wanted to visit for a long time, but also for the gratifying conversation held, although in some aspects we did not agree - make this architectural, artistic and historical adventure have an undoubtedly special charisma.

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In fact, few temples are so compact and impressive, seen from the outside, especially considering that it was built at the end of the 12th century, in that period of transition to a revolutionary style, mysteriously introduced in the West and that many historians maintain, without desire to complicate life too much, which originated spontaneously, as a natural solution to the obsolescence of an art, the Romanesque, which had prevailed until then: the Gothic.

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Metaphorically speaking, we could say that Gothic can be intuited as a chained melody that seeks the light of God in the heights and in whose score, vaults, crossings and flying buttresses seem to form a harmonic symphony, where the amazing balance of the whole is revealed set.

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Masterpiece, its dome, octagonal in shape -let's not forget the importance of this number within Sacred Geometry, which lying down, not only represents the symbol of infinity, but also served as the floor plan for many churches and monasteries, which Symbolically, they intended to reproduce the characteristics of the ambulatory of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem - equipped with small windows that let in light until it dilutes the possible shadows that fall on the baptistery, recalls one of the monumental resources of Mudejar architecture, one of whose formidable examples can be the magnificent Romanesque church of San Miguel, located in the town of Almazán in Soria.

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With some subsequent modifications, including the tower, which was the seat and dwelling of successive Palencian bishops throughout history and whose dangerous internal state does not allow a visit, the temple of Santa María la Mayor in Villamuriel de Cerrato, unlike many others, still remains more or less true to its early originality.

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An originality, which, although outwardly notices differences, is precisely in its interior where the traveler who has visited other monumental temples of the rich architectural heritage of Palencia, will experience a sensation of curious familiarity, remembering the nearby and also church of Santa María la Blanca , located in the town of Villalcázar de Sirga, inside which is the mutilated image of the miraculous Virgin to whom the cultured king, Alfonso X el Sabio, dedicated his best-known work: the Cantigas a Santa María.

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That of Villalcázar de Sirga, was a church that was part of one of the main orders of the Order of the Temple in the Iberian Peninsula, located in the middle of the Camino de Santiago and that, in addition, had a fabulous hospital and hostel for pilgrims, which At present, it continues with its doors open, although carrying out the tasks of a magnificent restaurant, inside which you can savor the best dishes of the rich and varied food from Palencia and which was seriously affected by the terrible earthquake that devastated Lisbon in 1775. , the capital of Portugal.

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In short: an extraordinary example of a Gothic temple and also a fortress, which, saving some modern modifications and even some additions to its original messenger -for example, the heads of a dog and a man, representative of a curious road saint, San Roque- the sale or theft of the main altarpieces and cult objects of the time -those it currently has are replacements- and its familiarity with the architecture that the Knights Templar paid for and put into practice in times, it is worth visiting for all lovers of architecture. architecture and art in general.

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NOTICE: Both the text, as well as the photographs that accompany it, as well as the video that illustrates it, are my exclusive intellectual property and, therefore, are subject to my Copyright.

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la arquitectura gotica es hermosa por el simple hecho de que es inspirada para las estructuras religiosas, gracias a su luminosidad y la elevación de paredes y ventanales

Certain. Thanks for your comment.

La cúpula es similar a lo que los obispos se colocan en la cabeza , vi el vídeo , escuché algunas voces , la arquitectura es asombrosa sin duda alguna .
Te deseo un feliz comienzo de semana

Gracias por tu comentario. Yo también te deseo un feliz comienzo de semana.
Thanks for your comment. I also wish you a happy start to the week.

Hello @juancar347. Church and fortress architecture - what a fabulous combination! What is also interesting about this historic landmark is you get to witness the architectural transition of its design character from the Romanesque style to eventually the prevailing Gothic signature. I'm also fascinated by the raw stonework visibly encompassing both the exterior and interior ceilings and walls, giving the edifice its special monotone flair. Any idea what type of stone was used for this sacred building dear friend?

The end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, the period to which this building belongs, was a decidedly special period, the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, an architectural awakening towards new challenges. I couldn't tell you exactly what type of stone it is, although I would say it is granitic in nature. It is typical of this area, and was already used by the Visigoths, as can be seen in the nearby Visigothic church of San Juan de Baños. Unlike the berroqueña stone, more typical of Ávila and the province, identifiable by its high iron content, which gives it that special and bloody color, many of the temples in this peninsular area use more or less this type of ashlar. Although if you advance a few kilometers to the north, in the direction of Cantabria, you will see that the stone varies, it is more clayey, therefore softer and has a different coloration, more earthy, easily noticeable in temples such as that of Moarves de Ojeda, San Andrés de Arroyo or Santa María de Mave. Thank you very much for your comment and an affectionate greeting.

Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you for the comprehensive response. It's certainly better to take advantage of locally sourced stones rather than import these raw materials from distant locations. It's more economical, plus it saves time and effort as a result. Moreover, these stones also have distinctive colorations depending on where they were collected from while adapting to their natural geography. All the best and happy Wednesday!

 3 years ago  

Congratulations @juancar347! We're delighted to specially curate your awesome publication and award it RUNNER-UP in Architecture Brew #61. More power!

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 3 years ago  

Always a great pleasure to have you dear @juancar347. Stay awesome! 😀

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 3 years ago  

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