San Pedro de Arlanza Monastery
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Founded in the early 10th century former Benedictine - monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza was for centuries one of the most important monasteries of Castile , and later Spain . Perhaps even before Covarrubias , it is considered the "cradle of Castile" (Cuna de Castilla) . Today only the ruins of the monastery church, the cloister and the adjoining farm buildings can be seen.
location
The monastery is located at approx. 940 m altitude in the valley of the Río Arlanza (distance from the river approx. 500 m) in the north of the small town of Hortigüela , which owes its existence to the former monastery. The distance to Burgos is about 45 km (driving distance) in a north-westerly direction. The medieval town of Covarrubias is about 15 km to the west; the lovely renaissance town of Lerma is another 23 km to the west.
history
The monastery consecrated to the Apostle Peter was allegedly founded in 912 by the Castilian Count Fernán González (* around 910, † 970) and his wife Sancha, which is hardly possible because the future Count was still a child at the time. Either his father Gonzalo Fernandez would be the founder of the monastery, or the dating in the two documents is not exact and would have to be postponed by several years. In any case, the bones of the count and his wife were buried in the monastery after their death; in the course of the dissolution of the church property ( desamortisatión ) in the years 1835–1841 they were transferred to the collegiate church of San Cosme y San Damián in Covarrubias. Today's church and cloister (claustro) originally date from the late 11th century, but the church was later vaulted in the Gothic style and partially rebuilt. The old cloister was demolished in the 16th century and extensively renovated in the Renaissance style.
architecture
The Romanesque character of the monastery church is most evident when looking at the exterior of the apses and the north tower, only a few years later. The interior of the church, on the other hand, bears witness to the renovation in the Gothic style.
Gate construction
The two-storey gate building of the monastery from the 16th century is best preserved. Above the portal there is an equestrian figure of Santiago Matamoros St. James slaying the Moors, framed by four ornamental obelisks with ball attachments. Immediately behind this - as a kind of reception courtyard - is the so-called “Small Cloister” (claustro minor) from the same period.
church
From the original building of the three-nave monastery church, the floor plan, the two lower levels of the apses and some Romanesque capitals on the wall templates of the aisles have remained. Also the massive north tower - structured in the lower part by pointed arches , but unmistakable blind arcades and accompanied by a round stair tower - dates from around 1200. The Romanesque portal, decorated with restrained abstract ornaments, which overall resembles the portal of Jaramillo de la Fuente , was built in 1895 in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional de España in Madrid. Some high-lying window openings and the wall templates that led into the ribbed vaults of the side aisles come from the renovation in the Gothic style - in the main apse, a triforium is even imitated by the top of a Gothic upper aisle . The ribbed vault of the main apse was exceptionally artistically designed with free tracery .
Cloister
Nothing has survived from the Romanesque cloister; the current building dates from the 16th century. Its basement shows large arches with walls stepped back several times , while the upper floor is characterized by double window arcades .
Furnishing
When the church was demolished, some remains of medieval frescoes were uncovered, which are dated around the year 1300 and are now kept in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona . Two particularly beautiful pieces found their way into the Cloisters Museum in New York .
Gate construction of the monastery
Ruins of the cloister
Web links
- Monasterio San Pedro de Arlanza - Photos + Info (Spanish)
- Monasterio San Pedro de Arlanza - Photos + Info (Spanish)
Coordinates: 42 ° 4 ′ 10 " N , 3 ° 25 ′ 29" W.