San Pedro de Arlanza

Founded in the early 10th century former Benedictine monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza was for centuries one of the most important monasteries in Castile, and later Spain. Maybe even before it Covarrubias is considered the " cradle of Castile " ( cuna de Castilla ). Today only the ruins of the abbey church, the cloister and the ensuing economic buildings can be seen.

Location

The monastery is situated about 940 meters above sea level. inst in the valley of the River Arlanza (distance to the river about 500 meters ) in the north of the small town Hortiguela, the very much owes its existence to the former monastery. The distance to Burgos is about 45 km ( driving distance ) in a northwesterly direction. The medieval town of Covarrubias is about 15 kilometers to the west; the remarkable renaissance town of Lerma is a further 23 kilometers to the west.

History

That the hl. Peter consecrated monastery was supposedly in the year 912 of the Castilian Count Fernán González (c. 910, † 970) and founded his wife Sancha, which can hardly be because the future Earl was still a child. Either, therefore, was his father Gonzalo Fernandez of the founders of the monastery or the dating of the two documents is not exact and may have to be postponed for a number of years back. The remains of the Count and his wife were in any case buried after her death in the monastery; as part of the resolution of church property ( disentailment ) in the years 1835 to 1841 they were transferred to the Collegiate San Cosme y San Damián Covarrubias. The present church and the cloister originally date from the late 11th century - the church was vaulted in Gothic style and later partly rebuilt; the old cloister was demolished in the 16th century and completely rebuilt in the Renaissance style.

Architecture

The clearest is the Romanesque character of the monastery church when looking at the exterior of the apse and a few years later the North Tower. The interior of the church bears witness, however, rather from the reconstruction in Gothic style.

Torbau

The best preserved is the two-storey gatehouse of the monastery from the 16th century. Above the portal there is a mounted figure of Santiago as Moors killer ( matamoros ) framed by four ornamental obelisks with ball attachments. Immediately behind it closes - the so-called "small cloister " ( claustro minor) from the same time - as a kind reception court.

Church

From the original building the three-nave church of the floor plan, the two lower levels of the apses and some Romanesque capitals have remained on the wall projections of the side aisles. The massive - in the lower part structured by pointed arches, but maßwerklose blind arches and a circular stair tower accompanied - North tower dates from around 1200 The reluctant decorated with abstract ornaments Romanesque portal, which overall is similar to the portal of Jaramillo de la Fuente was. spent in 1895 in the Archaeological Museum Nacional de España in Madrid. From the reconstruction in Gothic style has produced some high-altitude window openings and wall templates on introduced into the ribbed vaulting of the side aisles - in the main apse is the essay a Gothic clerestory even imitates a triforium. The ribbed vaulting of the main apse was decorated exceptionally ornate with open tracery.

Cloister

From the Romanesque cloister nothing is received; the present building dates from the 16th century. His basement is large arcades with multiple stepped back jambs, while the upper floor is marked by double windows arcades.

Equipment

During demolition of the church some medieval remains of frescoes were uncovered, which are dated to the year 1300 and (MNAC ) in Barcelona today are kept at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Two of the most beautiful pieces found their way into the Cloisters Museum in New York.

Main apse triforium and clerestory

Ruins of the cloister

Fresco of a striding lion ( Cloisters - New York)

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