San Martín (Frómista)

San Martín in Frómista

San Martín in Frómista is a church and one of the earliest high Romanesque large buildings in Spain.

Geographical location

It is on the Camino de Santiago . Frómista is a municipality in the province of Palencia in the autonomous community of Castile and León . The church was in the village of San Martín, which originally did not belong to Frómista, but which can no longer be distinguished from it.

history

Model of the church with a raised crossing tower and a separate staircase tower

Model of the state of the church immediately before the restoration began

A church and a Benedictine - monastery at this point were in the Testament of Queen Mayor of Castile , born Countess of Castile , and widow of King Sancho III. of Navarre , first mentioned on June 13, 1066. The queen had taken her widow's seat here, started building the church and made the monastery and church part of the heirs of her property. These fortunes made it possible to build a magnificent church, which was built in the last third of the 11th century in a construction period of 15 to 20 years, continuously and without interruption. Close relationships exist with the Cathedral of Jaca and the Basilica of San Isidoro in León . Both buildings were also from the family circle of King Sancho III. financed and the craftsmen seem to have been partly the same. After the Cathedral of Jaca and the Basilica of San Isidoro, the third large Romanesque church in Spain was built here.

In 1118 Queen Urraca , a great-granddaughter of Queen Munia, placed the church, monastery and the associated settlement, San Martín, under the monastery of San Zoilo in Carrión de los Condes . San Martín thus became the priory of this monastery. During the whole of the following Middle Ages there were constant disputes between the town of Frómista and the monastery of San Zoilo over rights in and to the village of San Martín , which led to military conflicts. The southern tower flanking the west facade of the church was largely destroyed in 1418. The dispute was not settled until 1488.

In 1453 a miracle of hosts took place in San Martín. The paten that was used and the host were venerated in the church until the 19th century. The paten - without the host - and the corresponding monstrance in which it was shown are now in the museum of the neighboring church of San Pedro.

Cardinal Enrique Almaraz y Santos (1847–1922), initiator of the restoration at the end of the 19th century

Also in the 15th century, the crossing tower received two additional floors. The stairwell to these rooms was housed in an externally and separately built tower, from which a bridge led to the crossing tower. Other, smaller extensions were added. In the long run, however, the statics of the structure were not able to cope with the addition of the four tower. The sub-construction slowly gave way so that the building had to be closed in the 1870s.

In 1894 the church was finally placed under monument protection and then extensively restored from 1896 to 1904 by the architect Manuel Aníbal Álvarez Amoroso (1850-1930). Behind it stood the then Bishop of Palencia and later Cardinal Enrique Almaraz y Santos (1847-1922). The “perfect Romanesque church” was the guiding principle during the restoration. The parts that those involved considered to be subsequent additions and all the remains of the former monastery complex were removed, missing parts added and part of the building sculpture, classified as poorly preserved, replaced with reconstructions. This has led to the fact that the church at first glance looks like a historic building and has led to vehement criticism of the work, which is sometimes characterized as a “devastating restoration” or “overly thorough restoration”. Others claim, however, that the church was "carefully restored" at the time and that those who carried out the work were careful.

In the 19th century, after the monasteries were dissolved, San Martin was one of several parish churches in the village. Today services are only held there on special occasions.

architecture

Layout

investment

The church is a three-aisled pseudo - basilica on the plan of a Latin cross , the crossing emphasized by a dome. All three naves have four bays and barrel vaults . The vaults of the central nave and transept begin exactly at the level where those of the side aisles have their apex. It is the first time that a Romanesque church has been completely vaulted in Spain. Both the central nave and the side aisles each end with a choir to the east.

Exterior

The staggered choir is divided vertically by columns with richly sculpted capitals, the entire building - except for the west facade - horizontally structured by a cornice made of small, checkerboard-like rolls. The windows are above him. The crossing tower is octagonal with side walls in two different widths. The west facade is flanked by two small round towers.

The stone carvings on the church are outstanding. Half of the 46 outer capitals show vegetal motifs. In addition, there are braided ribbons, animals, but no mythical creatures. Represented are: monkeys, lions, snakes, a rooster and a capital shows pelicans. Other capitals are scenic. What is special, however, are the 309 console figures on the rafters under the roof overhangs, the plants, animals, mythical creatures, people and also some erotic representations such as the "Phallus Man" (on the gable of the north transept). 86 of them were replaced during the restoration from 1896 to 1904. However, the copies - insofar as this can be judged today on the basis of casts of the originals and historical photographs - with regard to the motifs depicted mostly adhere to the historical inventory. Four groups can be identified: a few with geometric motifs, a few with plant motifs, animal motifs and depictions of people.

The interpretations of the representations are different: While Horst Bredekamp interprets the sculptures as didactic advice to the pilgrims about what is reprehensible and what to avoid, Peter K. Klein assumes that here - on the edge of the building - the edge of the world is shown : everything that is marginal and therefore scary.

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Interior

View into the main apse		Aisle

Entrances are located both in the west facade and on each side of the building.

The interior of the church is missing the medieval painting, which was probably there but is not documented. If remains of it were preserved, they fell victim to the "restoration" at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Only the 50 capitals, which are worked out in the smallest details, remain. Most of the stone carvings are well-preserved originals. 11 capitals are supposed to be reconstructive replacement pieces, seven of them are marked with a red "R" - unusual for the time. Their program is similar to that on the outside: They depict plants, animals and people. Some capitals allow the conclusion that the craftsmen have adopted techniques from Islamic culture . One of the so-called Orestes capital has been shown to be modeled on the relief of a Roman sarcophagus found in the area .

The symbols for the four evangelists are in the trumpets of the crossing tower . The dome of the tower was rebuilt during restoration at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The inscription on the keystone refers to King Alfonso XIII. (1886-1931).

Furnishing

Only three figures still adorn the interior today. You are in the main apse:

• the patron saint of the Church, Saint Martin of Tours ,
• the apostle James (the church is on the Camino de Santiago) and
• a crucifix from the late 13th century.

There is also a wrought iron oil lamp from the 19th century with the inscription "DONA MUNIA", the name of the founder, Queen Munia Mayor

Monument protection

San Martín is an architectural monument and is available as since 1894 Bien de Interés Cultural under monument protection . It is registered in the register of monuments under the number RI - 51 - 0000066 - 00000. As part of the Camino de Santiago, the Church participates in its status as a World Heritage Site .

literature

• Horst Bredekamp : Pilgrimage as a temptation. San Martín in Frómista . In: C. Fruh u. a. (Ed.): Art history but how? , Berlin 1989, pp. 221-258. New edition 2004.
• Dietrich Höllhuber and Werner Schäfke: The Spanish Way of St. James. History and art on the way to Santiago de Compostela . DuMont, [Cologne] 1999. ISBN 3-7701-4862-2
• Peter K. Klein : The figure consoles of San Martín in Frómista and the tradition of “marginal images” . In: Achim Arbeiter u. a. (Ed.): Northern Hispania in the 11th century. Christian art in transition / El Norte Hispánico en el siglo XI . Imhof, Petersberg 2009, pp. 175-182.
• Pedro de Palol , Max Hirmer : Art of the early Middle Ages from the Visigoth Empire to the end of the Romanesque. Hirmer, Munich 1965, ISBN 3-7774-5730-2
• Carlos Arroyo Puertas: The Church of San Martín [guide sheet]. O. O., before 2019.
• Carlos Arroyo Puertas: San Martín de Frómista. German . Cálamo, 2nd edition, Palencia 2007.
• Werner Schäfke: Northwest Spain. Landscape, history and art on the way to Santiago de Compostela . DuMont, Cologne 1987. ISBN 3-7701-1589-9
• Pierre Tisné et al: Spain. Pictorial Atlas of Spanish Art . DuMont Schauberg, Cologne 1968. ISBN 3-7701-4461-9

Web links

Commons : San Martín (Frómista)  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Photos and videos of the Church of San Martin

Remarks

1. ↑ Höllhuber: Der Spanish Jakobsweg , p. 144, and Palol: Spanien , p. 74, speak of a hall church .
2. ↑ Mythical creatures and aquatic animals are completely absent (Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 48).
3. ↑ Some of the expanded originals are in the Museo de Palencia in Palencia (Höllhuber: Der spanische Jakobsweg , p. 144).
4. ^ Translation: Heidrun Wessel.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 144.
2. ↑ Schäfke: Nordwest-Spanien , p. 175f; Palol: Spain , p. 74.
3. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 13.
4. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 144.
5. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 16.
6. ^ Palol: Spain , p. 71.
7. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 16.
8. ↑ Klein: Die Figurenkonsolen , p. 175.
9. ^ Schäfke: Northwest Spain , p. 176.
10. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , pp. 16, 36f.
11. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 17.
12. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , pp. 21-29.
13. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 29; Tisné: Spain , p. 12.
14. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 17.
15. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 20.
16. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 21.
17. ^ Schäfke: Northwest Spain , p. 176.
18. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 144; Schäfke: Northwest Spain , p. 176.
19. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 144.
20. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 21.
21. ↑ Klein: Die Figurenkonsolen , p. 179.
22. ↑ Tisné: Spain , p. 12
23. ↑ Puertas: The Church , p. 2.
24. ^ Schäfke: Northwest Spain , p. 176.
25. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 12; Puertas: The Church , p. 4.
26. ^ Frómista - San Martín, v. a. the first photo of the section "Capiteles interiores"
27. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , S. 144f.
28. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 41.
29. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 44.
30. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 45.
31. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 45.
32. ↑ Klein: Die Figurenkonsolen , p. 175.
33. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 45.
34. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 48.
35. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 50ff.
36. ↑ Puertas is very skeptical about all attempts at interpretation: San Martín de Frómista , pp. 51–55.
37. ↑ Klein: Die Figurenkonsolen , p. 179.
38. ↑ Puertas: The Church , p. 3.
39. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 65.
40. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 144.
41. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 63.
42. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 69.
43. ↑ Höllhuber: The Spanish Way of St. James , p. 145.
44. ↑ Puertas: San Martín de Frómista , p. 62.
45. ↑ Puertas: The Church , p. 3.
46. ↑ Entry in the Spanish register of monuments .
47. ↑ Entry on the UNESCO homepage .

Coordinates: 42 ° 16 ′ 0.2 ″  N , 4 ° 24 ′ 25 ″  W.