San Tirso (Sahagun)
The medieval church of San Tirso in the northern Spanish city of Sahagún is one of the most impressive sacred buildings in the Mudéjar style . It is dedicated to the martyr Thyrsus, who was executed in Asia Minor around 250 AD .
location
The church of San Tirso is located in the west of the small town of Sahagún in the region of Castilla-Leon . It is only about 300 meters northeast of a stone bridge over the Río Cea , which already existed in the Middle Ages and was crossed by many pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela .
Building history
Nothing is known about the client (s) or the builders (architects and craftsmen) involved in the church building, which is slightly south-east oriented. Other documents and certificates relating to the building history have also not been preserved. Research dates the choir area of the Mudéjar-style building to the end of the 12th century - it would be at the beginning of the Mudéjar churches in the city; the nave of the church followed only a short time later.
The church profited to a great extent from the donations of the passing pilgrims . In the late Middle Ages, the pilgrimage almost came to a standstill because of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) between France and England and the time of the Reformation . The church building fell into disrepair and was largely restored in the 20th century.
architecture
Stone material
While most of the residential buildings in the region of the Duero Valley, which is poor in natural stone , were built from rammed earth or using truss technology , many sacred buildings in the near and far surroundings were made of bricks (e.g. in Zamora and Toro ). The manufacturing and processing techniques were mainly mastered by the Moorish Mudéjares and the Christian builders trained by them. Apart from the base zone of the central apse and a few small columns in the crossing tower , the walls of the church consist exclusively of bricks .
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1st entrance, 2nd central nave, 3rd north apse, 4th central apse, 5th south apse, 6th + 7th. Crossing + tower, 8th south aisle (museum), 9th inner choir ( coro ), 10th sarcophagus, 11th north vestibule ( portico ), 12th stone carving mark
Apses
The three naves in the interior each end in an apse , the middle of which is significantly larger than the two on the side. Due to the base zone of the central apse, it can be assumed that an attempt was first made to erect a natural stone building, which, however - also because of the transport costs - soon after the start of the work proved to be too time-consuming and expensive. From then on, the work was carried out in brick, which is also used to design the two-storey blind arcade decor of the three apses. The higher blind arcades are each framed by rectangular frames, while the smaller ones end in double round arches. Each apse is illuminated through a small east window.
Crossing tower
Each of the three floors of the rectangular tower built on a rectangular floor plan , which also functioned as a bell tower , is wide open through window and sound openings that decrease in height upwards; the tower looks rather light. The natural stone pillars placed in the arcades of the two lower levels provide visual variety.
The free-standing tower built in the 17th century with its octagonal upper floor, which helps shape the silhouette of San Tirso , is the only remaining part of the neighboring former monastery of San Benito .
inner space
The south aisle of the three-aisled interior of the church, which is covered by wooden flat ceilings, has been converted into a small museum - here are wooden models of the churches of Sahagún etc. Probably at the time the church was built it was not possible to construct wide-span vaults from bricks; In addition, the Moorish craftsmen and architects were not at all familiar with the vault technique. The pillars of the inner choir ( coro ) and parts of the outer walls are plastered: to what extent this corresponds to the original state is unclear. The large arches in the area of the crossing and the side apses are designed as horseshoe arches ; at the very top there are decorative patterns made of stones placed vertically or at an angle. Instead of the capitals that are common in natural stone construction, there are only transom plates .
North porch
In the 19th century a vestibule ( portico or galería porticada ) was added on the north side of the church , through which one enters the church.
Furnishing
In the middle of the inner choir ( coro ) framed by choir stalls from the Iglesia de la Pelegrina , a stone sarcophagus is exhibited, which originally stood in the cemetery of Sahagún; it is dated to the 13th century and shows the reclining figure of a nobleman. On the long sides there are groups of two of mourning monks and other people. In addition, several baroque figures etc. can be seen in the church, which, however, only negligibly affect the atmosphere of the church.
literature
- Museum Without Borders (Ed.): The Mudejar Art: Islamic Aesthetics in Christian Art. Wasmuth Verlag, Tübingen / Berlin 2006, ISBN 3-8030-4100-7 .
Web links
Coordinates: 42 ° 22 '15 " N , 5 ° 1' 57" W.