Romanesque Art

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY European Regional Development Fund

Romanesque Art

Spain

Spain

C O N T E N T S
HISTORICAL-ARTISTIC INTRODUCTION CATALONIA ARAGON NAVARRE LA RIOJA CASTILE & LEN THE BASQUE COUNTRY CANTABRIA ASTURIAS GALICIA OTHER AREAS GLOSSARY USEFUL ADDRESSES 2 10 16 22 26 28 42 44 46 48 55 58 60
Bay of Biscay France Paris Ireland Dublin United Kingdom London

ROMANESQUE ART
For the most part, Romanesque art tends to be scattered across the northern half of Spain, though notable examples are also to be found outside this area. Those who are so inclined, could spend days and weeks taking unforgettable snapshots of churches nestling in tranquil scenic hamlets and villages beside leafy vineyards, hermitage chapels perched above plunging ravines or silhouetted in the distance against deserted horizons, monasteries sunk in secluded valleys of a stillness so profound as to be almost audible, and elegant palaces entrenched behind sturdy walls amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. Our aim in this guide is to bring the curious and inquiring traveller a little closer to the regions and districts of Spain where this first European art form flourished. Inevitably, the approach taken has been to inform, one that is far removed from the solemnity and rigour of the art treatise or the fine detail of a specialised guidebook.
Mediterranean Sea Ceuta Melilla
Published by: Turespaa Secretara de Estado de Turismo y Comercio Ministerio de Industria, Turismo y Comercio Printed by: Egraf, S.A. D.L. M-38206-2004 NIPO: 7-04-04-016-2 St. Marys. Uncastillo Printed in Spain 1st Edition

GEMS OF THE ROMANESQUE 4

Portugal Lisbon

Madrid

S PA I N

Atlantic Ocean

Bear in mind too that, near any of the points highlighted here, there will always be art, cuisine, scenery or active tourism on offer to complement this cultural odyssey.

Text: Jess de la Cmara Translation: Michael Benedict Photographs: Turespaa Archives Graphic Design: P&L MARN

HISTORICAL-ARTISTIC INTRODUCTION
The term Romanesque was coined in the 19th century to describe architecture based on the round arch, spanning the era from Roman to Gothic. Nowadays, however, it is taken to mean Western Christian art in the 11th and 12th centuries. In the wake of the Dark Ages of the first millennium, the 11th century saw the western world undergo a revolution as agriculture improved, famines receded, epidemics waned and the population grew. A wave of euphoria swept through Europe and, with it, building fever spread, giving rise to the first European art form. The point from which these new building and farming ideas radiated outwards, was the Monastery of Cluny. The situation in Spain was somewhat different. Islam had taken firm root on the mainland, and the Reconquest was already under way. The unification of the Spanish kingdoms under Sancho the Great of Navarre and the fall of the Caliphate of Cordoba led to the rise of the so-called Taifas or independent regional city-states. In 1063, a papal bull lent added impetus to the Reconquest. Alfonso VI captured Toledo, pushing the frontier forward to the River Tagus and so establishing the foundations of Romanesque Style. Thanks to the safe and secure conditions that now prevailed on Spain's upland plateau (meseta), the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago (Camino de Santiago) experienced a "boom", and
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found a firm sponsor in the Monastery of Cluny, which lent its support to the first "guide book" to the Way, the Codex Calixtinus (its often amusing accounts serve to describe Romanesque society). It was the Way that served as a conduit for architectural advances. Spain's contribution came in the shape of the arcaded gallery, a social rather than a religious meeting point, and the Mudejar variant (mudjar being the term used to describe the style favoured by the Moorish minorities), seemingly a profanation, inasmuch as brick does not allow for carving or sculpting, the symbolic language that is innate to Romanesque. Lastly, the pervasive influence exerted by the Cistercian and Military Religious Orders was to seed the country with buildings characteristic of their respective styles.

The features repeatedly present in Romanesque Style are churches built on a cruciform (Latin cross) ground plan with: a single nave, a nave and two aisles, and, in exceptional cases, a nave and four aisles; thick walls supporting barrel and groin vaults; few -generally three- openings, namely, in the apse; round and tranverse arches; and piers without any apparent supportive function, which serve to break the heavy uniformity of line. On the outside, the most eye-catching features are the east ends, corbelled portals with abundant sculptural decoration, towers and lanterns. Painting and sculpture are integrated into form to enhance and illustrate the grandeur of a space intended for prayer.

There are many reasons for the dearth of painting; these include Cistercian influence, Gothic Style, whitewashing, retables, Baroque exuberance, etc. Nevertheless, we are fortunate in that paintings of quality abound; indeed, Spain is the country with the greatest amount of Romanesque painting preserved both in situ and in museums, a factor that goes to enhance the attraction.

Sculpture
This is a world of suggestive and enigmatic forms, perfectly adapted to the architecture. Sculpted figures appear in curvilinear form across archivolts and tympana, flattened on capitals and stylised on shafts, and are fascinating because, in preference to realism, they will assume deformed shapes in obedience to the space available. While of a didactic nature -a Bible in stone for the faithful- the sculptural groups were also elitist, appearing in places inaccessible to the public, private areas of monastic life, open only to a minority. At times, they deal with matters that can prove difficult to understand to those without prior instruction. Lastly, Romanesque sculpture is monumental, with the artists using the faade, tympanum and archivolts to work the stone directly.

Painting Architecture
Though present in a wide spectrum of buildings, it is churches that best display the basic principles of Romanesque. On entering a church in the course of this tour and being permeated by the very stillness of the silence, you will perforce feel that there is something in the forms that is more than the mere sum of the interconnecting component parts. It is the sensation of a building rationally conceived as the House of God. Its design revolves around an apse, a magnet for all eyes and crux of all that is most sacred. Nave and aisles serve to fashion a space in shadow that positively invites meditation. Many churches transmit the naked power of the stone. However, it must be borne in mind here that the aesthetic being assessed is often not the original: churches were an allencompassing, intensely coloured world of reds, ochres, yellows, whites and blacks. Painting was subordinated to the architectural structure and tended to make use of the walls to deploy an iconographic programme. Techniques ranging from fresco to tempera were used to depict figures lacking in naturalness, heavily demarcated by line, invariably seen from the front and arranged hierarchically, viz., the figure of Christ Panthocrator portrayed on apses and vaults, with angels and saints relegated to walls.
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Tapestry of the Creation. Girona

GEMS OF THE ROMANESQUE

The unquestionable artistic value of the following Romanesque works means that they occupy a special position, not merely in the context of Spain's remaining Romanesque vestiges (so plentiful and, in certain instances, of even higher calibre due to certain characteristic traits), but also in a wider European context, thanks to their singularity and originality. These include: the slender silhouette of the Church of St. Clement (Sant Climent), set against its scenic postcard backdrop in Tall; the balanced lines of the Collegiate Church of Santillana, which forms part of an urban ensemble of exquisite harmony; Zamora Cathedral,
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

with its novel architectural solutions; the cloisters of Santo Domingo de Silos (St. Dominic), where the statuary rises to universal heights; Len's St. Isidore's Basilica (San Isidoro), housing Europe's finest example of Romanesque painting; and Santiago de Compostela (Santiago; St. James), a magnet for pilgrims and all lovers of Romanesque art.

most blessed and exalted of Spain's cities. This is no less true today, when these adjectives have, in fact, taken upon a fuller and deeper meaning. The Cathedral, goal and final destination of the Pilgrims' Way, traces its origins to the 9th century, to a basilica that Alfonso II ordered built over the tomb of the Apostle. The present edifice was begun in 1078, but it was only in the 12th century that Maestro (master builder) Mateo completed it. Subsequently Gothic, Baroque and neo-classical elements were to be added. To give a detailed account of such a masterpiece in the space of a few lines is altogether impossible. What follows, therefore, is an attempt to provide a superficial description that gives an idea of this marvel. In the Plaza del Obradoiro (plaza; square), the Cathedral's Baroque faade shelters the Portico of Glory, which Maestro Mateo arranged in three great arches. The central arch features a pier surmounted by the Apostle. There are angels, Ancients of the Apocalypse, Adam and Eve, the Final Judgement, the tribes of Israel, prophets, apostles, monarchs with recognisably different featuresall imbued with a new naturalism: falan quedo (they talk in whispers) as Rosala de Castro, the Galician poetess, would say. The Plateras Portal (portada) reflects the pinnacle of Romanesque. What had, until then, been reserved for corbels and capitals was now brought
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within hands' reach. The portal is laid out in coupled arches with smooth archivolts upheld by columns. The tympana represent the Temptation and Passion of Christ, and the upper frieze is a set of pieces created for this Door and other long-vanished porticoes. In the Plaza de la Quintana, the Puerta Santa (Holy Door), another of Mateo's magnificent works, is opened only in Jubilee Years. Of the interior, Aymeric Picaud has this to say, This church is without fissure or flaw of any kind. It is magnificently constructed. It is large, spacious, luminous, harmonious, well-proportioned in width, length and height, and of admirable and ineffable stonework. Moreover, it is raised on two levels in the manner of a royal palace. He who walks the upper course of the naves and aisles of the triforium, though he ascend sad, must needs return gladdened and content on contemplating the splendid beauty of this church. There will be very few occasions when the traveller will move through Romanesque spaces of this magnitude. Like any other tourist, join the queue to "darse los croques (the custom of striking the head of the figure reputed to be the architect, Maestro Mateo), place your fingers where millions of people have done so before, make a wish and climb up to embrace the Saint -if so many people do it, there must be something in it.

Santiago de Compostela
In the Codex Calixtinus (12th century), Aymeric Picaud states, And then there is Compostela, the sublime city of the Apostle, endowed with all manner of charms and custodian of the mortal remains of St. James, by reason of which it is held to be the

Portico of Glory. Santiago de Compostela

Collegiate Church of St. Isidore. Len

Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. Burgos

St. Isidore's Basilica, Len

This building is everything at once: royal pantheon, reliquary, cradle of Castilian-Leonese Romanesque, the leading European example of 12th-century mural decoration, royal palace, pilgrimage way-stage, wellspring of new techniques Its complex history dates back to the time when Fernando I and his wife decided to have a mausoleum made in the old Monastery of St. John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista, a building completed circa 1063 in primitive Romanesque style, only a few walls of which are left standing), following the construction of a large sepulchre and the enlargement of the church. The Royal Pantheon (Panten Real) was built in a narthex having six sections, and subsequently extended. Whilst the oldest capitals bear plant motifs, the later ones depict biblical scenes. The truly marvellous feature, however, are the paintings on the vaulting, which tell of the redemption of Man. Dating back to circa 1100, they are the most notable of their kind in Europe.
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The church was erected in three stages over the course of the 11th and 12th centuries, with the east end coming first, followed by the transept and, lastly, the nave and aisles. In spite of the time spent on its construction, it betrays no discontinuity: in contrast, it transmits the idea of a whole. The capitals of the only apse visible from the exterior bear a resemblance to those of Jaca and Frmista, as do the two portals. The oldest portal, that of the Lamb (Cordero), leads into the nave, and, despite the apparent lack of order between the figures on the tympanum and spandrels, gives an overall impression of vigour. The Door of Pardon (Perdn), though simpler, is very lovely indeed.

As it happened, it was in these very cloisters that he was to be buried and, in view of the droves of pilgrims that visited his tomb, church and cloisters were subsequently enlarged. All that remains of the Romanesque church is the Door of the Virgins. However, the impressive feature here are the cloisters, which represent a highpoint in statuary. The cloisters form a slightly irregular square, in which the east and west galleries (pandas) have fourteen arcades, and the north and south galleries have sixteen. The eastern and northern galleries, recognisable by their exterior buttresses, were built towards the end of the 11th century, and it was here that the first Maestro of Silos, meticulous and serene, laboured away on a series of small-sized figures. Midway through the 12th century the work was concluded. These galleries no longer feature buttresses. The second Maestro of Silos, immersed in the Romanesque world, strove to maintain unity. His sculpture, larger and more naturalist than his predecessor's, created a school outside the confines of the monastery.
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Certainly both, and possibly more such masters worked on the fascinating panels at the corners, in view of the fact that at least four distinct phases are discernible. Their single greatest achievement is the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. The upper storey, constructed in the latter part of the 12th century, already emanates a Cistercian air. Rising from the imposing cloisters is the cypress, lauded by the poet, Gerardo Diego, as being an "enhiesto surtidor de sombra y sueo" ("steepling font of shade and dream").

Zamora Cathedral
Dedicated to the Saviour (Salvador), the Cathedral ranks as a jewel in terms of universal art, despite the many embellishments that detract from its primitive appearance. Three major units of the original Romanesque church, consecrated in 1174, can be seen on the exterior. The Bishop's Door (Obispo), the only surviving door of the original three that the once led into the church, is one of the few faades that follow a unitary programme to occupy the entire southern faade.

Santo Domingo de Silos

Raised over a 10th-century Mozarabic monastery (mozrabe; the style of the Christian minorities), the building is the result of the intense work and drive of St. Dominic (Santo Domingo de la Calzada). In the period that intervened between his arrival and eventual death, he had the church rebuilt and cloisters added.

Church of St. Clement, Tall. Lleida Zamora Cathedral

Two sturdy piers frame the whole, while two fluted shafts divide it into three vertical bands; the lateral registers are decorated with blind arches, heavily ornamented with swags, festoons and recesses or insets, in one of which is a head, badly damaged by the stones flung at it by little children in the belief that it represented Judas. It is an original and exclusive work that recalls French influences and Cordovan ancestry. The cathedral cupola -notable, original, stunning and a true Zamoran emblemhas received widespread recognition in treatises on art. Over the transept, a lantern with sixteen translucent windows supports a dome sheathed in overlapping scale-like tiles, rising to a ball that apparently symbolises the universe. Flanking the drum are four round turrets that act as buttresses. The interior is impressive, though the painting that adorns the arches tends to distort the purity of the lines. There is only one tower, but two must have been projected so as to make the western faade grander. Built on a
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square ground plan, it is braced at the corners, and has five separate sections with recessed round arches. The whole presents a solid and vigorous prospect.

Church of St. Clement, Tall

This tiny village in the Boi Valley is internationally renowned for its church, whose silhouette, with the Pyrenees in the background, makes for a highly attractive tourist poster. The reconquest of these parts by Alfonso el Batallador (the Battler) brought prosperity and renewal to the valley, converting it into a centre of Romanesque. Its very isolation fostered a certain structural uniformity. Consecrated in 1123, the church is a masterpiece of the Lombard Romanesque, a school that was thenceforth destined to go into a decline. The church has a basilican ground plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by columns, a wooden roof, an east end consisting of three apses

and a west-facing portal. The columns are essentially shafts without capitals, with some stylised chevrons as their only decoration. The original paintings are on display in the Catalonian National Art Gallery. The elegant and unforgettable tower, characterised by window openings on all four sides, rises five floors above the base, with the individual storeys being separated by a decorative band of hanging arches and, in the case of the upper three, a frieze of chevrons.

mention in this section. To preserve the remains of St. Juliana (or Illana), martyred in the Emperor Diocletian's time, a monastery was founded in the year 980. This was to become a collegiate church from the 11th century onwards. The church's nave, two aisles, three apses, lantern and tower are all original, but the outstanding highlight is, without doubt, its projecting portal, with archivolts bearing rustic reliefs surmounted by the figure of Christ Panthocrator supported by angels. The simplicity of the cloisters is manifest in the plasticity of the basket capitals on which biblical themes are depicted. The hand of the Frmista stone masons is evident throughout.

Santillana del Mar

This tremendously attractive medieval town and pilgrimage centre, replete with palaces and mansionhouses, is intact and clearly deserves a special

Collegiate Church of St. Juliana. Santillana del Mar

CATALONIA
It was in these parts, with their high Pyrenean peaks, undulating seaside scenery and extensive coastal flats of the sort found along the Ebro delta, that the Romanesque Style first penetrated into Spain. In the first decades of the 11th century, there arose a new architectural spirit, characterised by larger dimensions, the use of hewn stone, barrel vaults, quarter-round apses, an almost total absence of carving, etc., which gave birth to the first Romanesque, Lombard or Catalonian Lombard, a style that was enormously plastic, austere and solid, and marked by line. The flourishing society of the day accepted these changes and built churches down in the valleys

and monasteries up in the mountains. So identified were they with this art that, when Europe was busy building High Romanesque, the local population remained faithful to their style, maintaining it well into the middle of the 12th century. Their churches, devoid of carved forms, nevertheless abound in paintings, constituting an exceptional case in Europe in terms of the quality and quantity of the frescos which, though happily preserved, are unfortunately not in their place of origin.

LEstany Monastery. Bages

Barcelona
An indispensable city for those seeking instruction in Romanesque, thanks to the collections on

Monastery of Sant Cugat del Valls

Sant Cugat del Valls, a monastery whose cloisters are one of the finest examples of Late Romanesque. Not far away, is Corbera del Llobregat, an excellent instance of Lombard Romanesque and, immediately thereafter, Vic, where you should visit the Episcopal Museum, famous for the sculptural group from the Church of Erill-la-Vall depicting the Descent from the Cross, a landmark work dating from the 12th century. In Llua and then in LEstany, you will see two cloisters, both in monasteries of the same name (St. Mary's): the first, a beauty in miniature; and the second, one of the finest in Catalonia. Your last stop is Cardona. Here, St. Vincent's (Sant Vicen) is the masterpiece of Lombard Romanesque, a bare and austere art form that enthrals by its perfection and grandiose proportions. Perched on the hilltop and rising alongside the castle like some ship's figurehead, it projects eastwards, overlooking the Montanya de Sal, by the banks of the River Cardener.

display at the Catalonian Art and Federico Mars Museums. The former is the most complete collection in the world of Romanesque painting, though the museum also possesses sumptuous carvings, such as the Majestad Batll. The latter collection ranges from Iberian votive offerings down to 19th-century sculptures, carvings, reliefs and two Romanesque portals. Start your tour with the murals at St Mary's (Santa Mara) in Barber del Valls, and continue onwards to
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Girona
Begin your tour in the provincial capital itself. Even though it is not the stated purpose of this guide book, nevertheless be sure not to miss the wide range of attractions on offer in this area, from the Dal Museum in Figueres, to scenic settings such as the sandy pinefringed coves of the Costa Brava or the medieval towns and villages dotting the interior.

St. Vincents. Cardona

In Girona, take the Cathedral as your starting point. Although Gothic in style following its remodelling in the 14th century, it houses two stunning Romanesque pieces in alabaster, the altarstone, with an engraved inscription of consecration (1038), and Charlemagne's Chair. In addition, there is the Lombard-style Tower of Charlemagne, and the cloisters, ranked among the most outstanding of their kind for their capitals and friezes, sculpted by virtuoso master masons. As a bonus, there are: the Cathedral Museum, which exhibits an extraordinary 10th-century illuminated Codex (known in Spain as a "Boato"), the Tapestry of the Creation, the only embroidered work dating from this period still intact, and the Cathedral's woodcarved Virgin Mary; the Art Gallery; and the Archaeological Museum. The latter is housed in the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants (St. Peter), where a Romanesque church and cloisters await discovery while you view Greek, Roman and Jewish artefacts. This city is also home to an extraordinary example of Civilian Romanesque in the form of the Moorish Baths. Leaving Girona, make for Sant Pere de Rodes. Amidst a spectacular landscape between the mountains and the sea, on a site which, according to tradition, marks the spot where the relics of St. Peter -brought here from Rome- lie hidden, there stands the
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Sant Pere de Galligants (St.Peters)

St. Marys. Ripoll

In the medieval town of Besal, be sure to visit another monastery dedicated to St. Peter, endowed with a somewhat curious ambulatory, as well as the ruins of the Church of St. Mary. Moving further into the mountains now, you arrive in Ripoll, a town born in the shadow of the monastery whose formidable portal greets you. This grandiose work by the Maestro of Ripoll calls for a leisurely inspection. In its cloisters, Gothic forms are already in evidence. The nearby Benedictine monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses (St. John) houses a magnificent Descent from the Cross, which was carved in 1251 and displays the typical Romanesque religious solemnity.

Lleida
Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes Sant Joan de les Abadesses (St. Johns)

St. Marys. Besal

St. Marys. Agramunt

Aside from the Church of St. Clement in Tall, there are other places in this area that warrant your attention. In the city of Lleida there is the Old Cathedral (Seu Vella), a Romanesque work with elements of transition to Gothic. The doors on the south side are a good example of the so-called Leridan Romanesque, meticulously and profusely carved, with a somewhat Byzantine air. Should you feel so inclined, there is a lift to take you down to the New Cathedral. Your next stage requires leaving the city and heading for Covet, a mountain village, where one of the few extant portals abundantly decorated in Catalonian
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great monastery of Catalonia. Put aside all your preconceived ideas of Romanesque: what you will see here escapes all conventionalism. Height, Roman building techniques,

capitals that reveal Moorish influence, marble remains that in their day covered the portal the very complexity of the building defies classification.

Romanesque style is to be seen. Of note here are the sculpted borders depicting original sin in the centre, flanked by acrobats and musicians at both sides. Retracing your steps, go to Agramunt to see another portal, different by virtue of its sheer size, and marking the highpoint of Leridan Romanesque. Cervera is home to the largest circular church in Catalonia, built in the 11th century.
St. Eullias. Erill-la-Vall

town of Seu dUrgell itself, there is St. Mary's Cathedral, with its stupendous international Romanesque, rather a rarity in this region. Finally, Isil comes into view. The village, albeit somewhat remote, is well worth the effort, with the sight of St. John's opposite, ringed by mountains, it stones literally bathed by the waters of the River Noguera Pallaresa, giving travellers much food for thought.
Tarragona Cathedral

Once in the Pyrenees, with their mantling of Alpine meadows and lakes, towering peaks and plunging ravines, head for the Aran and Boi Valleys. The former is characterised by transitional constructions, such as St. Andrew's (Sant Andreu) in Salard, near the ski slopes of Baqueira-Beret, and St. Mary's in Bossost. In Boi, the Lombard Style reasserts itself. This is the area of the slim campaniles universally associated with Romanesque, e.g., the Church of Santa Eullia in Erill-la-Vall. Awaiting you in Tall are the Churches of St. Clement and St. Mary, which date from the same time. In the case of the latter, continued use over the years as a parish church has left its mark. Fortunately, restoration work has returned it to its primitive state. By now you are practically at the gates of the Aigestortes National Park, attractive at any season of the year. Solsona marks the beginning of a new stage, as you follow the course of the Segre to your journey's end amidst the grandeur of the Pyrenees. This town holds a surprise
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Tarragona
This province has some of the best examples of Cistercian architecture. Your stay will be short though profitable. In the city of Tarragona itself, renowned for its abundant Roman remains, the Cathedral, dating from the 12th century, retains its original Romanesque in the five apses and a good portion of the cloisters. Poblet, the last resting place of royalty, is Spain's best preserved Cistercian abbey; nestling in its valley location, it was Josep Pl who described it as no-one else has before or sinceThe silence of Poblet is the work of God, and for this reason its effects are efficient and great beyond measure. In Vallbona de les Monges, a community of nuns has lived in the convent for the last eight hundred years. In its cloisters Romanesque and Gothic co-exist, as indeed they do in the rest of the building, similarly marked by the passage of centuries. The last stop on this itinerary is Santes Creus. Atop a hill emerges this monastery, the result of
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St. Andrews. Salard

Monastery of Poblet

Seu dUrgell Cathedral

Santes Creus Monastery

in the shape of a museum devoted to Romanesque. En route to Seu dUrgell, stop off in Coll de Narg to take in the curious bell tower of St. Clement's. Once in the border

a series of building stages dating from the 12th through to the 18th centuries. Visiting it is a lesson in Cistercian elegance, austerity and grandeur.

ARAGON
Across the north-east of mainland Spain, the River Ebro furrows its course, moulding the relief of the terrain and the personality of the people. The Pyrenees, the Maestrazgo hill country and the plains of the Ribera (Riverside) lend shape to a land which, in medieval times, was a vast kingdom, a union of states that included Catalonia and Sicily, until its unification with Spain. The 11th century brought with it the first (Lombard) Romanesque Style from Catalonia, which made use of ashlar masonry to erect churches having a rectangular basilican ground plan, barrel vaulting and impressive towers fitted with abundant wall openings. Otherwise devoid of decoration, only the typical hanging-arch device on the apse was to be seen. When the period was at its height, International or Jaca Romanesque arrived from the general direction of the Pyrenees, a style that was widely found along the Pilgrims' Way to Santiago and was marked by ashlar masonry, groin vaulting and sculptural richness. Subsequently, the severe Cistercian forms were to

arrive, and, influenced by Catalonia, this school came to contribute interesting frescos.

Huesca
This province, so popular among tourists for its ski resorts (Panticosa, Astn, Candanch, etc.) -which rank among the best in Spain- boasts a wide selection of Romanesque. Your starting point is the provincial capital city of Huesca, with its attractive Old Quarter, Gothic Cathedral and Renaissance City Hall. For the local highlight, see the finely detailed capitals in the cloisters of the former Monastery and Church of St. Peter the Old (San Pedro el Viejo), the work of the master mason of San Juan de la Pea. The sole example of Civilian Romanesque is the Palace of the Monarchs of Aragon. Overlooking the Pamplona road is a landmark of the Christian advance, Loarre Castle, a place of imperturbable towers and an excellent church with alabaster

windows. The building seems to merge with the very rock, and easily commands the best panoramic view of the Ribera district. Its singularity resides in its dual nature, that of a military enclosure which, in turn, houses a religious enclosure. In Agero, at the foot of a series of impressive rock buttresses or towers known as mallos (from the Latin malleus or mallet), a short distance from their famous counterparts in Riglos, a path leads to St. James' Church, home to a superb bestiary depicted on the corbels, fascinating mouchettes and an epiphany with Byzantine connotations on the portal. You will be hard put to see another church with as many mason's marks. In the Guara Range, perched above the River Vero, is Alquzar. The first impression one gets is that of streets radiating outwards from the Main Square (Plaza Mayor). This is yet another case of a church within a stronghold. The cloisters of the Collegiate Church are a haven of peace. Six capitals along the north wing show the teaching of the Christian mysteries.

St. James. Agero

South of Huesca, an extensive drive through the Somontano district leads to Berbegal and Peralta de Alcofea, and an interesting series of tympana to be seen, both at the Church of Santa Mara la Blanca, with a Chrismon, Christ Panthocrator and Tetramorph (or fourfold Gospel, represented by St. Matthew depicted as a winged man or angel, St Mark as a lion, St. Luke as an ox and St. John as an eagle, all usually shown holding an open book), and at the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows (Nuestra Seora de los Dolores). From Barbastro, the route winds deeper into the mountains, between the Rivers Isbena and Noguera

St. Marys Monastery, Obarra. Veracruz

Loarre Castle

Ors Bajo

Cathedral cloister. Roda de Isbena

Ribagorzana. The interesting Romanesque examples in Tolva, Montaana and Sopeira are a foretaste of what is to come in Obarra, ensconced in its limestone setting. The horizontal lines and Lombard hanging arches gracing the apses of St. Mary's, intended as the chapel for what was once a pioneering monastery (1078), are a sheer delight. In summer, the sun penetrates through the window of the central apse creating a unique atmosphere. The next stop is Roda de Isbena, an instance of a village with a monumental cathedral, built on the site of a previous church that was razed by the son of the Moorish warrior, Almanzor. The Cathedral's east end displays great maturity. The interior, with marked differences in floor level, houses the admirably finished sarcophagus of St. Ramn, and, in one of the side chapels, a representation of the Apostles reveals Catalonian pictorial influence. A crypt and charming cloisters serve to complete its attractions.
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A second route, running parallel to the River Gllego, penetrates into the Serrablo district. Leaving Sabinigo behind, the first taste of Romanesque is to be savoured in three secluded 11th-century churches, each different in style and technique: St. Peter's in Lrrede, built of rough ashlar, its slim tower ending in tripartite windows; St. John the Baptist's (San Juan Bautista) in Busa, marked by the pronounced horseshoe shape of its decorative hanging archwork and the unmistakable ship's-prow profile of its

apse; and St. Martin's (San Martn) in Olivn, where arcades surmounted by a frieze of bead mouldings are to be found in the interior. In Ors Bajo and Gavn, similar churches offer the chance of pleasurable sightseeing. San Juan de la Pea, a short drive from Jaca, is a fundamental reference point. This monastery, which enjoyed royal protection and was both a place of inward reflection and propagation of the faith, stands against its legendary backdrop under a rocky overhang. Its unroofed cloisters are lined with columns and capitals of the very highest quality, the uncanny expressiveness of which tends to make one feel observed. The church, incrusted in the rock, with its slanted arches and damp stone, is unique. In the adjoining village of Santa Cruz de la Sers is St. Mary's Church, a rhythmic succession of different-sized and -shaped building blocks that seemingly ascend to the heavens. The most fascinating aspect are the corbels with their undersides depicting the four elements, represented by animals, monsters, etc., some still bearing vestiges of polychrome painting. Here too is the charming Hermitage Chapel of San Caprasio, its small dimensions coming in stark contrast to those of its neighbour.
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St. Marys. Santa Cruz de la Sers

Monastery of San Juan de la Pea

Jaca Cathedral

St. Peters Monastery. Siresa

An interesting itinerary takes the warm and welcoming city of Jaca as its point of departure. Erstwhile capital of the Kingdom of Aragon and stage on the Pilgrim's Way, its Cathedral marks the advent of International Romanesque in Spain and its apses, east end, portal and Chrismon were destined to be imitated again and again. The Diocesan Museum houses a Poor Man's Bible in the form of mural, one of the best in the world. On the outskirts, pay a visit to Bars. In Castillejo de Jaca, an irregular road leads to Igucel. Ringed by countryside that lends it grandeur is St. Mary's, an important church that evolved towards full-blown forms. From Borau, make for St. Adrian's (San Adrin) in Sasave. The brackets on its hanging arches allude to the Spiritus mundi. The route proceeds to Canfranc, where an enchanting bridge serves to conjure up the image of pilgrims crossing the River Aragon. With a little effort, you will manage to reach the distant valley of Hecho. The fascia of St. Peter's Monastery in Siresa is a lesson in how great height can be
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offset by horizontality. Do not miss the narrow defile that leads to the nearby cirque known as the Selva de Oza. Finally, in the arid Monegros district, there are Sigena and Chalamera: the former with St. Mary's Monastery and its splendid portal of fourteen archivolts (though the paintings are in the Catalonian Art Gallery); the latter, with St. Mary's Church, curious for the window above the portal. An inspired series of heads emerge from the plant motifs gracing its capitals.

St. Marys. Uncastillo

Zaragoza
Without lapsing into clichs, it has to be said that the River Ebro, the Church of Pilar, the Seo (Cathedral), the Lonja and Aljafera alone are reason enough to visit this city. Yet it also possesses unforgettable examples of Romanesque in the district of the Five Towns (Cinco Villas). Sos del Rey

Catlico, a medieval town jacketed in stone sandstorm camouflage, is home to an exclusive ensemble: St. Stephen's (San Esteban) and St. Mary of Pardon (Santa Mara del Perdn), connected by a gallery of groin vaulting, plaster borders and surrounds that compensate for the difference in ground level. The statue-columns on the north portal and the frescos in the apses of the crypt are truly captivating. Nearby is the spiritual and sensual St. Mary's in Uncastillo, plenitude being embodied in its matchless south door, replete with figures which, on one of the archivolts, verge on the comic. In this same district, there are also churches in Puilampa, Biota and Ejea de los Caballeros. To the south of the province, Daroca possesses a highly regarded series of churches, some finished off in brick, an obvious Mudejar trait. Among these, special mention should be made of St. Mary's, famous for its Corporales Chapel.

St. Stephens. Sos del Rey Catlico

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The next stage is the medieval town of Gazlaz, where the church is home to a rich 11th-century atrium and an unusually beautiful vault featuring pointed arches. The capitals, enigmatic in their meaning, carry a hint of the morisco (i.e., Christianised Muslim) and Cistercian. Further south lies Puente la Reina. The morisco-influenced polylobed portal of the Church of St. James is bound to enthuse you, as will the medieval bridge and the south portal of the Templar Church of the Crucifix (Crucifijo), with its laboriously worked zoomorphic capitals. In the immediate vicinity, at the point where the Somport and Roncesvalles branches of the Pilgrims' Way meet, stands the enigmatic octagonal Church of St. Mary's in Eunate. Its centralised ground plan is reminiscent of that of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The last point of call is St. Martin's in Artaiz, an example of rural Romanesque. Corbels and metopes alternate on the cornice over the portal. Their expressive themes were

didactically arranged, e.g., Man showing his genitals, lust, gluttony, etc., followed by their antagonists, the coming of Christ, St. Michael with his scales. Another itinerary will take you to Estella. Here, the north door of St. Michael's overflows with figures and reliefs of the highest calibre. Also waiting in store for the traveller is

Pilgrims Bridge. Puente la Reina

NAVARRE
Lying to the south of the Pyrenees, Navarre encompasses scenery of marked contrasts, ranging from Pyrenean valleys to the deep folds of the Bardenas Plateau, through to the vineyards of La Ribera, etc. In the 10th century, the region was already independent, expanding towards Aragon and Castile. It was around 1035 that Sancho III imported the first Romanesque from the Ribagorza, but the style's high point was to come in the 12th century. Pamplona Cathedral was destined to be the great focal point of Pilgrimage Romanesque. Two arterial routes of the Pilgrims' Way penetrated into the heart of this region, leaving behind a string of buildings with ambulatories and tribunes (galleries). Inevitably, the itinerary begins in Pamplona, a city at once universal and site of the world-famous San
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Fermin fiesta. The very faades of its Old Quarter seem to be impregnated with the scent of the running of the bulls. Visits include the impressive citadel, the Church of St. Saturninus and the 14th-century Cathedral, the 12th-century building having long since disappeared, leaving only some capitals, of an almost miniaturist nature, on display at the Navarre Museum. The Diocesan Museum, kitchen and refectory of the present Cathedral, possess a dazzling collection of polychrome statues. To the north, a relaxing woodland walk through the Aralar Range will bring you to the Church of San Miguel (St. Michael) the spiritual centre of Navarre. Built on a basilican ground plan with three apses and an octagonal dome, the church keeps jealous watch over the landmark 13th-century example of gold- and silverwork that is the prodigious enamelled Aralar retable.

St. Marys. Eunate

St. Martins. Artaiz

St. Michaels. Estella

Civilian Romanesque of the finest order, in the shape of the Palace of the Monarchs of Navarre (Palacio de los reyes de Navarra). Its faade seems to have been lifted from a church: windows above a gallery, arcades along the tribuneand capitals, the most exquisite of which is the one depicting the legendary struggle between Charlemagne's nephew, the knight Roland (Roldn), and the Giant Ferragut. Similarly important are the Churches of St. Peter of the Way (San Pedro de la Ra ) and St. Michael. Lying within Estella's area of influence are: St. Mary's Monastery in Iranzu, combining serenity of landscape with Cistercian austerity; St. Andrew's Church in Villamayor de Monjardn, a town taken by Charlemagne, the Emperor of the flowing beard (as Carolingian tradition has it), featuring a Chrismon with a serpent; and the Monastery of St. Mary Royal (Santa Mara la Real) in Irache, with another Chrismon borne aloft by the hand of God, of tremendous symbolic import. To the south, flanking the Pilgrims' Way, Torres del Ro is the site of a building similar to (though better conceived than) that of Eunate: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre appears on three levels, an effect achieved by superimposing wall openings and blind arches of immense plasticity. Its octagonal ground plan, one of the few existing in Spain, acts as support for a dome framed by ribbing. You are now drawn eastwards on what will prove a fascinating tour. In the foothills that rise above the shores
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Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Torres del Ro

Compostela. Relax and enjoy the silence of the scenery, but beware of the fate that befell Virila, the abbot of the monastery who remained bewitched for three hundred years on listening to the harmonious song of the birds. Might Washington Irving have learnt of this story before writing Rip Van Winkle, do you think? Close by to Leyre, the towns of Aibar and Navascus excel for their churches. Yet it is Sangesa that is home to the Church of St. Mary Royal, which has one of the most ornate portals in Spain. It is in two parts: the lower section, made up of pointed archivolts with a tympanum depicting the Final Judgement and St. Michael with his scales for weighing souls, etc.; and, running along the top, the upper section, made up of two arcaded friezes. Nearby is the town of Javier with a castle, dating back to the 13th century, in which one of the founders of the Society of Jesus was born. Now head south-west. First comes Uju, perched atop a hill, where the east end of St. Mary's Shrine (Santuario) will certainly enchant you; next comes St. Martin's in Unx, with

an enigmatic crypt of capitals adorned with tiny heads at the angles; and lastly, Olite, with its Church of St. Peter, where eagles mount guard over the door. Lying between this and the following route is the far-off Cistercian Monastery of St. Mary in La Oliva, a place of great spirituality. In the Ribera District, there is the town of Tudela, with its Church of St. Nicholas of Bari, Church of Mary Magdalene (La Magdalena) and Cathedral, notable for its beautiful portals and sumptuous cloisters. In addition, you would be well advised to visit the Monasteries of Veruela and Tulebras. Finally, Fitero, with its Church of St. Mary Royal: Cistercian, enormous, with an ambulatory, chapels and elegant portal. The cloisters, its greatest attraction, boast a superb chapterhouse with lancet-arched vaulting supported by foliated capitals.

Irache Monastery. Ayegui

St. Mary Royal. Sangesa

of a dammed lake, the lone mass of the Church of St. Saviour (San Salvador) in Leyre displays the entire constructive sequence of the Romanesque school. The east end is divided into two storeys: one for the crypt, where the vault rests on squat shafts and superb trunco-pyramidal capitals, the other for the subtle church. The western faade, alive with figures, recalls the Plateras Door in

Crypt; Leyre Monastery

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LA RIOJA
Straddling the area between Castile and the Basque Country, La Rioja's vineyards and fertile market gardens are demarcated by the River Ebro and the Demanda Range. After many attempts by the Navarrese and Leonese to wrest this region from the Moors, it was finally incorporated by Alfonso VI into Castile. La Rioja, the cradle of Castilian Spanish, received the full force of the influence of the Pilgrims' Way to Santiago, possibly because the region's sombre landscape struck the monks as a fitting backdrop for their appointed mission. Its architecture represents Pilgrimage Romanesque. Leaving from Logroo, a provincial capital of wide boulevards, engaging Old Quarter and abundant wine cellars, the first excursion leads to an isolated spot, Viguera. In the lee of the wind, a spectacular rocky outcrop on the River Iregua shelters St. Stephen's Chapel, a crude building which reaches as far back as the Goths and features pictorial decoration. The scenery framed by the surrounding Iregua Valley and Cameros Range is magnificent. The second excursion skirts the Rioja Alavesa area: San Vicente de la Sonsierra, famous for the picaos of Holy Week (bare-backed penitents who flagellate themselves in the Easter procession), is home to the Church of Santa Mara de la Piscina. Its classical line and proportions were conceived by El Cid's son-in-law,
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Garca Snchez, to commemorate the taking of Jerusalem. The Holy City was conquered at the precise point where the healing pond or piscina probatica was located, which explains the origin of the church's name. The apse and pictorial remains on the Crusaders are its chief attraction. Different tracks and trails hereabouts lead to ancient prehistoric settlements and dolmens. Once past Alfaro, capitals adorned with delicately profiled figures in Castilseco announce the presence of Transitional Romanesque. Much the same can be said of Fonzaleche and Villaseca, the latter with timidly pointed arches. In Tirgo you are sure to find the famous mermaid capital in the apse and the harpies on the triumphal arch enchanting, as you will the harmonious archivolts of the Hermitage Chapel of Our Lady of Sorejana in Cuzcurrita del Ro Tirn. In Ochnduri, the parish church will remind you of Estella; its triumphal arch, meticulously sculpted, repeats the scene of the combat between Roland and Ferragut. Lastly, there is the curious baptismal font of Redecilla del Camino. The final excursion again departs from Logroo. After making a short halt at Navarrete cemetery to admire the door and two windows of the vanished Hospital of the Order of St. John, proceed to Njera, the ancient capital of La Rioja. The Monastery of St. Mary Royal is the site of a Gothic church and exquisitely worked cloisters, with highly prized items, such as a 13th-century seated Virgin

Mary with Boy Child, and royal tombs, like that of Queen Blanca of Navarre. Under the influence of the Pilgrims' Way is the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, with tribune and ambulatory. Though modelled on the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, it introduces ribbing on the vaults. An elegant narrative based on fable is represented in sculptural form. Ask about the legend of the hen you will be astounded! Paraphrasing that pioneer of Castilian Spanish, Gonzalo de Berceo, San Milln de la Cogolla rises into view amidst fertile market gardens, stretches of open farmland and pleasant valleys. The Monastery of Suso -Visigothic and Mozarabic in style- houses the alabaster tomb of St. Millan, and lying in the Monastery of Yuso is St. Millan's wood and ivory coffer. Lined with fabric of the period, the panels on the coffer tell the life of the saint in a series of nave vignettes. Finally, in the town of Canales de la Sierra in the Demanda Range, is the Hermitage Chapel of St. Christopher (San Cristbal). While the extraordinarily detailed plant and geometrical decoration -a copy of that in Silos- merits attention, the church's originality resides in its eastward-facing gallery, which is unique.

Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada

St. Christophers Chapel. Canales de la Sierra

Crypt; Monastery of St. Mary Royal. Njera

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CASTILE & LEN

This high, perfectly horizontal plateau fringed by mountains, where history has left Spain's greatest artistic heritage, is the custodian of innumerable marvels. Its Romanesque production ranges from the final decades of the 11th to the first decades of the 13th century, two hundred years of profound political and cultural upheaval. Following the conquest of Toledo in 1085, the natural frontier between the Christian and Moorish kingdoms shifted southwards to the Tagus. The Lower Middle Ages saw local Visigothic and Mozarabic traditions being gradually ousted and replaced by liturgical rites and monastic organisations hailing from beyond the Pyrenees. Imposition of the new building methods met resistance, and islamic decorative motifs were retained. Alfonso VI and his successors contributed to the rapid spread of these influences via the Pilgrims' Way to Santiago.

It was along this axis that Romanesque was to be propagated, both north- and southwards.

Avila
This seductive World Heritage city enveloped in the mysticism of St. Teresa is ringed by splendid Romanesque walls, the best in Europe, and studded with palaces, convents and almost a score of churches. Start your visit at St. Vincent's (Baslica de San Vicente), which was begun in the 12th century and completed in the 13th century thanks to the genius of Fruchel. This admirable church has an elaborate transept and a narrow east end, but the extraordinary feature is the sculptural work on the portals. The south door, with portico, is adorned with superbly sculpted figures on the jambs and a magnificent Annunciation:

the west end, framed between nonsymmetrical towers, repeats the statues on the jambs, though this time with Apostles, a pier with a torso-column and, surmounting the whole, God the Father. The interior is remarkable for its slender proportions. This is a good vantage point from which to look at the walls, undoubtedly the city's landmark sight. They were built by Alfonso VI's son-in-law, Raimundo de Borgoa, over the remains of an earlier city wall. The powerful battlements and semi-cylindrical flanking towers were an attempt to make Avila a frontier stronghold. Of the city gates, the San Vicente and Alczar Gates (alczar; fortified palace) are the most attractive. Climb up and walk along the ramparts to enjoy the view of the city at your feet, an absolute delight.

Painting; Church of St. Mary Major. Arvalo

A huge round tower in the wall is in fact the apse of the Cathedral, your next visit. In appearance a Gothic structure, its east end (1170) is in fact excellent Romanesque, likewise attributed to the Master, Fruchel. Meander through the streets and alleys to get to El Grande, the city's busiest square; here, the harmonious Church of St. Peter deserves a mention for its enormous rose window. Afterwards, take in St. Andrew's, St. Mary's, St. Nicholas', etc. For an example of Civilian Romanesque, see the Dvila Palace. It is rather surprising that the calibre of its surrounding province falls short of that of the city Avila. The local constructions are made of brick, perhaps owing to the fact that they tend to be concentrated around Arvalo, where stone is scarce. The churches, bare of sculptural details, are attractive for the bi-chrome detail on their forms. Arvalo possesses churches with slim towers and elaborate apses, e.g., St. Dominic's, St. Michael's and the Church of St. Mary Major (Santa Mara la Mayor). The city wall is Romanesque, as are the nearby bridges of Medina and Los Barros, and the sumptuous east end of La Lugareja Monastery.

St. Vincent's Basilica. Avila 29

Very nearby, the town of Madrigal de las Altas Torres, birthplace of Queen Isabel the Catholic, offers the visitor two Romanesque churches and the remains of the town wall, made of adobe and pebble interspersed with horizontal and vertical strips of brickwork.

capitals, the ex-Collegiate Church of Santa Mara del Manzano, in Castrojeriz, and the imposing Church of St Nicholas, dating from the 12th century, in Itero del Castillo. To the North, in the Merindades region, an area of pronounced valleys and rugged scenery, are the Churches of: St. Saviour in Oa, the first great edifice to be built on Burgos soil; St. Mary in Siones, its nave simulating the beginning of a small transept, over which rises a tower resting on a series of small shrines of a kind to be seen nowhere else in the province; and St. Nicholas in Miranda de Ebro, with its elaborate apse. Nearby are a number of churches with narrow east ends, e.g., those of San Vicentejo, in Trevio, with exquisitely contrived window openings, and San Pantalen de Losa, on a steep hilltop. Set against the scenic reaches of the Upper Ebro, the Hermitage Chapel of Tablada de Rudrn with its harmonious tympanum, serves to further enhance the appeal of this singular spot. The most admirable atrium in the Burgos area is to be found in Rebolledo de la Torre. To the south, the buildings are altogether more modest. In the Esgueva Valley stand the churches of Pinillos, Bahabn, Santibez, the lastmentioned with a hermitage chapel featuring Lombard hanging arches. In the proximity of Aranda de Duero, bound for the Roman ruins of Clunia, is the town of Corua del Conde, its hermitage chapel featuring a square apse with blind arches, a relative rarity in these parts.
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Burgos
This admirable city, lying beneath the soaring needle-like spires of its magnificent Cathedral, is lacking in Romanesque, possibly because Gothic took root with such strength that it rendered the former's preservation difficult. The only surviving testimony to Romanesque are the "Claustrillas" or original cloisters of Las Huelgas Reales Convent (Monasterio de Santa Mara la Real de las Huelgas). However, the outlying province boasts the highest concentration of churches in Spain, many of the first magnitude. Not far off, the prehistoric archaeological site of Atapuerca may also be visited. Begin your tour with the monasteries closest to the city. These are: San Pedro de Cardea, an extraordinary 11thcentury work forever linked to El Cid; Rodilla, with attractive blind arcades in the apse; Villamayor de los Montes, with its splendid cloisters; and San Quirce, a refined monument, with elegantly carved capitals. For those following the Pilgrims' Way to Santiago, surprises await in the shape of San Juan de Ortega, a monastery and pilgrims' hospital with a magnificent east end and stunning
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Las Huelgas Reales Convent. Burgos

St. Martins. Vizcanos de la Sierra

Rodilla parish church

The Assumption. Jaramillo de la Fuente

Church of Our Lady of Manzano. Castrojeriz

Monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza

St. Marys. Siones

The last point on the itinerary takes us to the Silos area, with the intention of seeing a group of churches on which the Silos artists left their imprint, e.g., Jaramillo de la Fuente with its arcaded gallery, Castrillo de Solarana with its singular decoration, Vizcanos, etc. In the stillness of a narrow valley lie the ruins of San Pedro de Arlanza, one of the great Burgos monasteries, today in

a phase of consolidation. While in this part of the world, it is a good idea to pay a visit to the town of Covarrubias and the Visigothic Hermitage Chapel of Quintanilla de las Vias.

Len
This attractive, tourist city and capital of the ancient Kingdom of Len has a lovely Gothic Cathedral with admirable stained glass, a valuable ensemble of monumental buildings and a picturesque Old Quarter (or Barrio Hmedo, literally, the "Wet Quarter", an ideal place to have a drink with friends). Len does not offer much in the way of Romanesque remains, yet such as it does possess, are top quality. Indeed, some are unique, e.g., St. Isidore's Basilica (San Isidoro), and others are exceedingly harmonious, e.g., the Church of St. Mary of the Market (Santa Mara del Mercado) facing onto the evocative Plaza del Grano, and the Church of St. Martins, transformed in the Baroque era. In addition, there are the Roman walls, consolidated in the 11th century. Nearby are the astonishing Cistercian monasteries of St. Mary of Sandoval, St. Mary of Carrizo, now very changed, and St. Mary Royal of Gradefes, with its magnificent ambulatory and, by all accounts, the sole convent of Cistercian nuns. Similarly, there is San Miguel de la Escalada, a genuine Mozarabic gem complete with Romanesque tower. El Bierzo, a mining district with a highly reputed cuisine, traversed by the Pilgrims' Way, offers attractive
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scenery and monasteries of distinct personality, e.g., Corulln, Villafranca del Bierzo, Otero de Ponferrada, etc., as well as the restored St. Mary's of Carracedo. In the vicinity is the incomparable land formation of Las Mdulas, the workings of the Roman open-cast gold mines of yore.

If you have time, take a side-trip to Compludo to see the medieval smithy in operation. To the east, Sahagn is home to a watershed Romanesque Mudejar Style, thanks to Benedictine friars who a erected a series of stunning churches, instances of which are St. Thirso's with its stately tower of coupled windows, and St. Lawrence's (San Lorenzo), where the east end is distinguished by a blind horseshoe-arch design. Excellent examples are also to be found in Gordaliza del Pino, with a highly decorated double apse, and Saelices del Ro, which combines stone and brick.

St. Antolns crypt. Palencia

Church of San Miguel de la Escalada

Gothorum, a reference to the time of the Goths) are dotted with churches of noble carriage, e.g., the Monastery of St. Isidore of Dueas, the church of St. Mary Major and the Templar churchfortress of Villamuriel de Cerrato. The Pilgrims' Way to Santiago is lined with singular churches. In Frmista, there is St. Martin's, built circa 1066 and subsequently restored in line with the shift to ornate decorative flourish. Outstanding features here are the impeccable exterior decoration and exquisite sculpting on the interior capitals, which rank among the most perfect in the Romanesque Style.

Palencia
Palentine Romanesque has been granted World Heritage status. Palencia itself, the provincial capital at the very heart of Castile, is a pleasing city. Remains do not abound and yet there are nevertheless some excellent examples, such as: the Visigothic crypt of St. Antoln (a saint who has lent his name to the local rosquillas, delicious doughnut-shaped cookies) in the city's Cathedral, the oldest Romanesque building in Castile & Len; St. Michael's Church, a proto-Gothic structure, with the city's loveliest bell tower; and the Church of Villanueva del Ro, with its pristine, finely drawn lines, moved here when the town was inundated by the Aguilar Dam. The rolling hill country of El Cerrato and the flat expanses of Tierra de Campos or Campos Gticos (Campi
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St. Thirsos. Sahagn

Carracedo Monastery

St. Martins. Frmista

St. Cecilias. Aguilar de Campoo

A short distance off in Mave, St. Mary's Monastery, a singular building dating from 1208 and now converted into a hotel, houses a pretty church. St. Cecilia's in Vallespinoso de Aguilar, strategically positioned, conveys the idea of a fortress, while St. Eulalia's in Barrio de Santa Mara is a beauty, as is the parish church, which is likewise Romanesque. Lastly, in La Ojeda, in the vicinity of Herrera de Pisuerga, you will come across a string of towns and villages with charming churches, including: St. Eufemia's in Cozuelos (11th-12th century), with its single nave, transept with dome and tri-apsidal east end; the Cistercian Monastery of San Andrs del Arroyo, founded by Alfonso VIII, an ensemble of the first order in which the finest 13th-century Castilian stone masons worked on the exquisite capitals flanking the cloisters, including the much celebrated one with leaf-openwork sculpture; the Church of Moarves, with a portal of archivolts supported by capitals and a frieze of immense quality, which you might possibly find reminiscent of that in Carrin; Zorita del Pramo, with two fabulous portals, the main one of which is a Plateresque work (plata, Spanish for silver, denoting the style's resemblance to silver filigree) based on the "recycling" of artistic Romanesque figures of the twelve apostles; Colmenares de Ojeda, featuring a singular baptismal font; Perazancas, site of two Romanesque buildings, namely, the parish church and the Hermitage Chapel of St. Pelayo, with Romanesque
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paintings of note; Arenilla de San Pelayo, whose church forms part of an ancient 12th-century monastery, another masterpieceand so on. The list is almost endless. Any direction you care to take will inevitably lead you to eye-catching Romanesque vestiges, all of astounding beauty.

St. James. Carrin de los Condes

St. Mary Royal. Aguilar de Campoo Church of San Salvador de Cantamuda

Monastery of San Andrs del Arroyo

In Carrin de los Condes, three churches await you: St. James', a masterly and invaluable Spanish work of art, its superb portal with Christ Panthocrator and the Apostles marking a peak in Romanesque statuary; St. Mary's, with a densely decorated frieze, not quite as perfect as that of St. James'; and St. Zoilo's, a restored Benedictine monastery. Not far from this focal point is Villalczar de Sirga, where you will come upon an impressive Gothic church with abundant Romanesque elements, and be able to visit two Roman villas -La Olmeda and Quintanilla de la Cueza- with their superb mosaics.
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Thereafter, a drive through patchwork valleys and the uplands of Guardo and Cervera de Pisuerga will bring you to the churches of Cillamayor, Villanueva de la Torre and San Salvador de Cantamuda, with its captivating collegiate church built by Alfonso VII. Memories of a glorious past are preserved in Aguilar de Campoo: in the Church of St. Cecilia and its shapely tower, standing at the foot of the castle; in the Church of St. Michael, a Gothic structure with Romanesque elements; and in the Monastery of St. Mary Royal, which recreates different styles and is the headquarters of an association for the preservation of Romanesque, thanks to which a great number of churches owe their restoration.

Moarves de Ojeda

Chapel of St. Pelayo. Perazancas

Salamanca
This golden jewel, this university city of high-spirited student activity and Plateresque has little to offer in the way of Romanesque. The most significant single sight in this World Heritage City is the Old Cathedral. Commenced in 1150, its outstanding features include two beautiful apses and the famous Cock Tower (Torre del Gallo), a scallop-tiled lantern. The view one gets from the idyllic Patio Chico (small square) is truly memorable. On emerging into the city's unrivalled Main Square, take a good look around: you will spot St. Martin's, and, at the end of calle Zamora, the shopping street in which the local charra handicrafts can be bought, St. Mark's (San Marcos), which resembles a round tower from the old wall. Another excellent group of churches will be found in the Armua district. The church of San Pelayo de Guarea,

with an oculus (roundel) in the apse, is seemingly unique; among others, there is also the church of Almenara de Tormes, engraved with ornamentation of a markedly Moorish air. The churches in Alba de Tormes and Pearanda de Bracamonte are no less fascinating by reason of their brickwork, e.g., Alba de Tormes, Gajates, etc. Special interest attaches to the border post of Ciudad Rodrigo and the Romanesque section of the city's St. Mary's Cathedral, built circa 1165.

Segovian Romanesque's most slender tower; the Church of the Trinity (Trinidad), with its beautiful polychrome capitals; the Church of the Knights of St. John (San Juan de los Caballeros), built on the site of a Palaeochristian basilica, nowadays a museum; and the Church of St. Justus (San Justo) and St. Pastor, which houses the finest Romanesque paintings. Be sure to take in the Church of the True Cross (Vera Cruz), a curious polygonal church, which imitates the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and has a remarkable interior with Caliphate-Style vaulting. En route to Sepulveda, visit: the Church of Our Lady of Las Vegas, in Requijada, the only example with a baptismal font; St. John's, Orejana, with the finest of capitals; and the porticoed church of Sotosalbos. A short drive away are the palace, park and gardens of La Granja, through which you can take an enjoyable walk and, in summer, watch the fountains play. Seplveda is the site of the exceptional Church of the Saviour, the oldest in the province and possibly the first south of the Duero; pay particular attention to the free-standing tower. In the adjoining River Duratn Nature Reserve, atop a majestic gorge, with vultures hovering and gliding overhead, is the Hermitage Chapel of St. Frutos. The locals say that those who succeed in making a complete circle of the building will cure themselves of toothache, but do not even tryit is a very long way down. Nearby is the town of Duratn, with another extraordinary church and a Visigothic burial site.
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St. Stephens. Segovia

Segovia
This monumental World Heritage City, famed for its cuisine, boasts the world's best Roman aqueduct, a fairy-tale alczar (fortified palace), a cathedral and a prodigious collection of porticoed churches. Moreover, it is also the site of the charming Romanesque Quarter of Las Canonjas. In a pedestrian precinct tailor-made for taking a pleasurable stroll, St. Millan's, the most outstanding of these churches, echoes Jaca Cathedral. Walk around it and notice the rhythmic distribution of the arches in each of its atria, as well as the priceless capitals. In the very heart of the city, surrounded by palaces, St. Martin's serves to create an attractive urban space. The tower rises above a central nave, a feature that is somewhat odd in this type of building. It has three stunning porticoes, the best and oldest of which faces north. The city also offers other charming churches: St. Stephen's, with
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St. Martins. Sotosalbos

Cock Tower. Salamanca Cathedral

Fuentiduea is another Romanesque landmark. One of its churches has been dismantled and moved bodily to New York, and the other, St. Michael's, is a marvel. In the neighbouring town of Sacramenia, there are two churches (one with 14thcentury paintings) and two hermitage chapels, one in a very deteriorated state on a steep hillside, and the other, Santa Mara de Crdaba, with Visigothic elements. Finally, there is the Cistercian Monastery of St. Mary Royal, the oldest in the region (1143), featuring a prodigious church with a single east end and five apses arranged in hierarchical order. The cloisters were sold and reassembled in Miami. In the environs are other good examples too, such as the attractive medieval town of Cullar, with two churches and a couple of civic buildings.

Ciudad Rodrigo Cathedral

Soria
This hospitable city, ensconced between high severe hills along the famous bend on the River Duero immortalised in the poetry of Antonio Machado, offers Romanesque buildings of particular beauty. In the city centre is St. Dominic's (Santo Domingo), a fascinating church built by highly skilled French masons at the behest of Alfonso VII. The east faade features a rose window, two series of blind arches and a marvellous portal with the figure of God the Father depicted on the tympanum. On the way to the Knights Templar Monastery of St. John's (San Juan de Duero), take time out to see the meticulous sculpting on the arches of

the Cathedral Church Cloisters. Once in the bucolic setting of St. John's exclusive cloisters, pause to admire the four types of arch as they change style at the corners, passing from Romanesque to pointed, from pointed to simple, and simple to complex strapwork. It is a delightful sight. Inside, there are two original canopies with admirable capitals. From here, the stroll along the riverside to the Church of St. Saturio is extremely pleasant. On your return, visit the Church of St. John of Rabanera in the city. Its best feature is its singular apse, with fluted piers and blind arches covered in decoration. The door in the faade comes from the ruined Church of St. Nicholas. Numerous churches are to be found in the city's outlying areas. These include the Hermitage Chapel of the Martyrs in Garray, marking the turn-off to the famous ruins of Numancia, and the Church of the Assumption in Los Llamosos, with Mozarabic elements. A tour through the province will make you fully conversant with the types of arcaded structures. Indeed, it is hereabouts that the first type appears, characterised by Moorish elements, as in Gormaz; then, there are those with highly ornamented classical forms, as in El Burgo de Osma, and others with Aragonese influences, as in greda. In San Esteban de Gormaz, see the southern faade of St. Michael's, with an arcaded gallery that is unequalled, not for the artistic work alone, but also for being ahead of its time.
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St. Martin's show, there was a time when this was not the case. The province, on the other hand, offers a varied repertoire. On the outskirts, you will encounter places such as Wamba, a town named after a Visigoth king and the site of a lovely church, with Mozarabic elements, nave and two aisles, constructed by the Knights of St. John. On going inside, the somewhat gruesome ossuary may come as a shock. The area is also home to monasteries of incalculable value, such as that of Santa Mara de Valbuena, deep in the heart of the Ribera del Duero (Duero Riverbank) area, near the worldfamous wine cellars of Vega Sicilia. Founded by the Countess of Urgell for

Monastery of Santa Mara de Huerta

St. Marys. Tiermes

In the surroundings, there are more porticoed churches to be unearthed, such as St. Mary's in Tiermes, on a Celtiberian archaeological site, and the Hermitage Chapel of St. Bartholomew (San Bartolom) in Ucero, set against the incomparable scenery of the River Lobos canyon. Lastly, standing in the Jaln Valley is the Cistercian Monastery of Santa Mara de Huerta, which is open to tourists and whose sights include the pantry (cilla), kitchen and some curious rampant arches in the refectory.

Wamba parish church

St. Dominics. Soria

Valladolid
This modern and dynamic city, capital of the Castile & Len Region and site of the National Sculpture Gallery, is lacking in Romanesque buildings of relevance, though, as the church towers of Santa Mara La Antigua and
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Church of San Esteban de Gormaz

the Cistercian Order with the aim of repopulating these lands, the building's surviving sections display exquisite style. Murals on profane themes, dating from the end of the 12th-century, are exhibited in the Treasure Chamber. The monastery is currently being restored, refurbished and re-equipped to act as the permanent site of The Ages of Man exhibition.

Chapel of the Annunciation. Uruea

There is also the Santa Espina Monastery, built on the orders of the Queen, Doa Sancha, to house a relic of the Christ's crown of thorns (espina; thorn). The church possesses a superb retable which originally belonged to the Retuerta Monastery. In the Torozos hill country and surrounding area, you should try and visit Trigueros del Valle and its interesting Hermitage Chapel of St. Mary, which, judging by the slightly attenuated horseshoe-shaped arch on the portal, may possibly be Mozarabic. In Uruea, the Hermitage Chapel of the Annunciation is the most fascinating and complete example of Lombard Romanesque in the area. Once here, it is a good idea to visit the Mozarabic Church of San Cebrin Mazote.

the most beautiful and best known church after the Cathedral. The enlarged walls indicate that the edifice was built in two stages, being completed by the Knights of St. John without ever being given the height initially intended. If the apse is prodigious, the heavy decoration on the south faade tends to take one aback. In the interior, the tomb is considered to be a masterpiece. The following point of call is the Church of St. Ildefonso, which guards the relics of the Archbishop of Toledo and should be noted for its elegant portal. Recognisable by the look-out tower rising above the river is St. Cyprian's (San Cipriano), with square apses. The Church of Santa Mara la Nueva has the oldest vestiges, a Mozarabic portal and an east end that is unique for the seven blind arches on its apse. Other sights of interest are the rose window on St. John's, the bead moulding and pendant in the Church of Santiago del Burgo, and the straight-cut east end of St. Andrew's. In the area around the Cathedral, good examples of Civilian Romanesque Style are to be found in the castle gate and keep, Traitor's Gate, Bishop's Gate, and the tower and house of El Cid. Lastly, a little bit further away, there is the imposing Doa Urraca Gate. The province of Zamora offers a range of sights as wide and varied as that of the city. How could anyone be anything but impressed by the Collegiate Church of Toro: atop the drum its majestic dome shines with a light of its own, its North portal is of
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unquestionable beauty, its interior luminous and stylised- is graced by fine capitals, and the Gothic polychromed West Door is simply grandiose. The town also has other comparable brick constructions. In Benavente, there are the Churches of Santa Mara del Azogue, with its monumental east end of five apses and two heavily decorated portals, and St. John of the Market (San Juan del Mercado). In the environs, further exceptional structures are to be found, such as the ruins of Moreruela Monastery, the east end of which is made up of an apse and seven apsidioles, and which is regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in the Cistercian style. Santa Marta de Tera is home to a church that is considered unique. Built on the site of Mozarabic remains, it has a single nave and a squared apse, chiselled with such painstaking care and skill that the finish is perfect. Steel yourself for a surprise and go inside.

Just a few kilometres away, heading in the direction of Galicia, lies Mombuey, with its strange Romanesque domical bell tower, unprecedented in these parts. Although Puebla de Sanabria is home to a stunning church, there can be no doubt that the most attractive building hereabouts is the Monastery of San Martn de Castaeda, grandiose, elegant and close by the shores of the famous lake. Finally, to the south, in the Sayago area, between the Almendra Dam and the impressively sheer bluffs of the Arribes del Duero (upper course of the River Duero), there are some villages with modest, though eye-catching, churches. Should the fancy take you, the river along this stretch can be explored by boat.

Moreruela Monastery

Zamora
Situated on a hilltop beside the Duero, Zamora is home to churches of different styles. The ideal way to get to know the city is to wander its streets and accidentally come upon its pleasant squares and hidden corners. However, whatever route you take, make sure to head for the Magdalena,

Collegiate Church of St. Mary Major. Toro

Santa Mara del Azogue. Benavente

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Church of Santa Mara del Azogue. Puebla de Sanabria

THE BASQUE COUNTRY

Between the thundering surf of the Bay of Biscay and the low-lying terrain of the Ebro valley, this region of ancestral custom and love of good food offers a sparse yet attractive range of Romanesque based on the cultural contributions of its monasteries. The Pilgrims' Way was never that far off, inasmuch as it penetrated along the River Bidasoa into the lands of lava. The local Romanesque, the result of tenacious and expert practice, displays a lack of original solutions. Abundant in decoration, it has the iconographic peculiarity of the Andra Mari, i.e., carvings of the Virgin Mary.

late (dating from the 13th century) and is splendidly decorated with filigree work. This influence tends to radiate out from the capital, Vitoria, a city with an excellent heritage, particularly in the warren-like Old Quarter, with its Renaissance palaces, two Cathedrals, combination of the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and Plaza de Espaa, and several museums, such as the Fournier Playing Card Museum and its display of antique collections. Your first visit will be to a place of great veneration, the Monastery of Our Lady of Estbaliz. The ogival (acute-arched) vaulting in the transept rests upon brackets bearing archetypal High Romanesque scenes, such as the original sin, or the Annunciation depicted on the socalled Puerta Speciosa or south portal, characterised by pointed archivolts exhibiting a slightly more flattened style. In full view, just a few hundred yards off, is the Church of Argandoa, with excellent carved stalls and an apse defined by pencil-thin columns.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Lasarte has a magnificent window. Five archivolts with intricate "baroque" plant-motif decoration rest on twelve columns in the form of the twelve Apostles, six without and six within. The images show the marks of weathering. The narrow loop window creates a unique atmosphere. Armentia calls. Here, the original apse and one arm of the transept of the Basilica of St. Prudentius (San Prudencio), a collegiate church since 1135, have survived intact. In the interior, the diagonals (ogives) of the vaulting are supported by evangelists with the head of an animal. The sculptural quality tends to be concentrated in the atrium, with reliefs plainly linked to Silos. An anecdotal detail here is provided by the relief: due to a miscalculation of the space available, only eleven Apostles are represented. If you are in the mood, there are two more points, lying a good distance apart from each other and outside the perimeter of the Vitoria area. One is Tuesta, situated between the Arcamo Range and Burgos, whose church is a forerunner of Gothic, its portal overflowing with every-day, not to say amorous, characters. The other enclave lies to the east of the Condado de Trevio, near Markinez, a town of singular caves which have been used from ancient times as a burial site. The River Ayuda flows past the Hermitage Chapel of St. John, an example of Transitional Romanesque.
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As for the rest of the Basque Country, mention should be made of the portals and decoration of the churches in Idiazabal, Abalzisketa and Zumrraga, in Guipzcoa, and the capitals of Mungua, as well as those of Frniz, Arrigorriaga and Abrisketa, in Vizcaya.

Fotos: Gobierno Vasco

Basilica of St. Prudentius. Armentia

lava
Alava is home to the crme de la crme. Its art, known as inertial Romanesque, is Burgos influenced, is

Church of the Assumption. Tuesta

Hermitage Chapel of St. John. Markinez

Monastery of Our Lady of Estbaliz

CANTABRIA
Framed against the backdrop of the Picos de Europa Range, the Cantabrian stretch of the Bay of Biscay runs from the Somorrostro to the Tina Mayor river estuaries. In tandem with Asturias, this region constituted the first line of resistance to the advance of Islam, and formed the first Christian kingdom. Alfonso VIII reactivated the economy by fostering the flow of pilgrims along the Pilgrims' Way, from which point onwards the region's history was to be linked to that of Castile. Romanesque, initially unrefined and devoid of sculpture, made use of pre-Romanesque buildings. Spread through the medium of a popular language, the high style swept in from the Plateau, with collegiate churches starting to appear as from 1150 onwards. Their single most peculiar aspect is the erotic nature of their corbels. Setting out from Santillana del Mar -where you will have walked the streets, lined with stately mansions, bought handicrafts and doubtlessly visited the Altamira Cave, a pinnacle in Palaeolithic art- the itinerary describes an arc, from Santander to Cape Ajo. Visitors to Santander, a tourist centre, are dazzled by sights, such as the Cathedral, with its 12th-century crypt, the Magdalena Palace, seat of the Menndez Pelayo International University, the Archaeological Museum, etc.
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In Yermo, St. Mary's displays a series of lascivious corbels and a knight killing a dragon on its portal. Close to Vargas, the second leading Cantabrian centre after Santillana, is the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz) in Castaeda, with androphagous capitals, a colossal octagonal lantern and a tower of mullioned windows. Once past Cayn, the site of two Romanesque churches, head for Escalante and Bareyo, the former with the Church of St. Romanus (San Romn), whose plentiful interior decoration comes in stark contrast to its external simplicity, and the latter with the Church of St. Mary, where note should be taken of the doublearcaded east end and curious capitals with human heads. The next itinerary runs along the divide between the Besaya and Pas Rivers. This is an area of nature reserves and historical-ethnographic

Church of St. Cosmus & St. Damian. Brcena de Pie de Concha

Near Reinosa is the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Cervatos. Shocked surprise is the usual reaction to its astonishingly obscene corbels and exotic portal, the latter depicting paired lions against a background of plant motifs, reminiscent of Caliphate art. In the environs is Villacantid, where you will see a Byzantine apse window with harmonious capitals, one of which features quadrupeds with butterfly wings. Following in quick succession are Hoyos, Olea, Mata de la Hozand the Collegiate Church of St. Martin, in Elines, the third pillar of Cantabrian Romanesque. Here, the entire perimeter is ringed by erotic corbels, while inside, remnants of the original paintwork are visible on the apse. Finally, the Vale of Libana is reached via the impressive Hermida Ravine. Once on the far side of Potes -an adventure sports centre- St. Mary's Monastery in Piasca rises into view. Its bell cote houses sculptures of great quality. Keep an eye open for capitals with griffins and centaurs, and the depiction of the guilds on one of the archivolts. Afterwards, be sure to pay a visit to the Monastery of St. Toribio and the incomparable scenery of Fuente D.

Collegiate Church. Cervatos

ensembles, with 12th-century structures to be found in Cotillo, Raicedo, La Serna and Sili: in the last-mentioned village, small groups of people are depicted on the capitals of the apses of its church. Further south lies Brcena de Pie de Concha, with yet more erotic corbels. Pujayo and Rioseco are also of interest. In the Campoo district, a Mecca for active tourism, Romanesque seems to be scattered throughout towns and villages without end, e.g., Bolmir, Bustasur and Retortillo, where St. Mary's, built on the site of the Roman city of Juliobriga, has winged monsters on its tympanum.
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Collegiate Church. Castaeda

Sili parish church

St. Marys. Bareyo

ASTURIAS
Asturias lies along the northern fringe of the mainland, forming part of what is known as Green Spain. Its Romanesque is similar to that of Cantabria, with which it shares a common geographical and historical background. The region was the first centre of resistance to Islam. Indeed, the Battle of Covadonga triggered off the Reconquest and with it, the repopulation of certain territories, a development that favoured the passage of pilgrims to the Plateau. The pre-Romanesque Style lasted until well into the 12th century, with Romanesque decoration sometimes appearing on earlier structures. High Romanesque was to emerge in the following century. Like Cantabria, it is characterised by erotic themes on all manner of mouldings. Two itineraries are proposed: the first taking the capital and the second the town of Cangas de Ons as their

respective centres. Monumental sights, green meadows and soaring mountains will escort you as you go about on your travels. In the Vetusta Oviedo immortalised by Clarn, Gothic structures house two Romanesque constructions, the Cmara Santa (i.e., Holy Chamber, designed as a shrine for a coffer of holy relics, the "Arca Santa") and the Old Tower, the former with an east end, dating from the 9th century, and an adjoining section dating from the 12th century, with sculptures of the Apostles sculpted on coupled columns. It was here in Oviedo that pilgrims who were unable to reach Santiago gained the Jubilee indulgence. Once in Priorio, the Church of St. John has one of Asturian Romanesque's very few narrative tympana. Encircled by mountains, Teverga, erstwhile Benedictine monastery and present-day parish church, is the monument that links pre-Romanesque architecture to Romanesque sculptural decoration.

After a short halt in the town of Aramil to appreciate the exotic decoration on St. Stephen's, San Salvador de Valdedis is reached, the site of St. Mary's Monastery, where Master Gualterio worked with Cistercian sobriety when Gothic was already on the rise. Just a few metres off stands a pre-Romanesque gem, the so-called "Valdedis Conventn (the diminutive by which the Basilica of St. Saviour's is affectionately known). The next stop is Amandi, where the Church of St. John announce the end of the Romanesque school: its portal, with its aesthetically carved plant motifs, is a precursor of Gothic. Depicted on the corbels are some scenes of a sexual nature. After an energy restoring break in the neighbouring town of Villaviciosa, the cider capital, take a stroll past the palace in which Charles V spent the night on his arrival in Spain. Once in Cangas de Ons, make for Villanueva. St. Peter's Monastery, now a Tourist Parador (state-run hotel), has

a tiny church with graceful capitals and corbels showing a knight giving his lady love a farewell kiss, a fellow knight slaying a bear, angels and mortals engaged in combat, and, in some instances, erotic subject matter. Lastly, on the San Antoln ra (estuary) there stands a 10th-century monastery, abandoned and rebuilt in the 12th century; otherwise austere in the extreme, one of its attractive features is its proximity to the sea.

Fotos Sociedad Regional de Turismo. Fotgrafo: Arnau Spni

St. Johns. Amandi

St. Stephens. Aramil

St. Peters. Villanueva

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GALICIA
The Roman Finis Terrae, or Gallaecia as it was known to the Suevi, is a land of sharply indented coasts and deeply folded terrain, green, forever green, swathed in fields and forests. Flowing through it are the Rivers Mio and Sil, scouring the granite and shaping the scenery at will. The overgrown river banks, dotted with churches and monasteries, offer tempting itineraries, such as the Ribera Sacra (Sacred Riverbank). Santiago de Compostela is the joyous Jubilee destination that presents us, as it did the pilgrims, with the maximum expression of universal Romanesque. Indeed, such heights did the style reach, that the naturalist and profane path blazed by Maestro Mateo was embraced and spread by his disciples throughout the length and breadth of Galicia. Very few places (Mondoedo, for example) resisted their influence, and such was the

mastery of these local stone masons, that Gothic forms took a long time to penetrate. The Way was not all penitence: it also acted as the conduit for new models, giving rise to the so-called Pilgrimage Style, consisting of large churches built on a Latinate cruciform ground plan, fitted with an ambulatory, an east end with radial chapels, and spaces designed for ease of access and procession. Compostela was the cultural and artistic epicentre, while granite, as the building material, was part and parcel of Galician architecture.

with sculptures and the lateral tympana supported by mouchettes in the form of angels, and St. James', the oldest church in the city, dating from the end of the 12th century, both with highly prized rose windows. Before leaving, be sure to visit the city's trademark Hercules Tower. The next points of call are on the rtabro Gulf. The first of these is Cambre, where St. Mary's, torched and razed in 1589 by Sir Francis Drake (known in Spain as "Drake the Pirate"), has a striking east end. If you find it complicated on the outside, you will be even more surprised by its internal disposition, which takes the form of an apse with an ambulatory and five radial chapels. Breamo discloses a somewhat more modest church in a splendid setting. Next comes the World Heritage City of Santiago de Compostela. The Apostle's tomb was discovered circa 814. The cult of St. James served to internationalise the city, with the influences of the Cluniac, Cistercian and Military Religious Orders starting to make themselves felt from the 11th century onwards. Bishop Gelmrez, taking advantage of the accompanying financial bonanza, initiated the Cathedral in 1110, and managed to persuade Rome to promulgate the Compostelan Holy Jubilee Years. Shortly afterwards, Alfonso X the Wise (el Sabio), regulated and protected the passage of pilgrims in the Codex of the Siete Partidas, by expressly prohibiting dishonest inn-keepers from using measures and weights to swindle and cheat guests.
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Plateras Portal. Santiago de Compostela

A Corua
The city of A Corua affords the chance of seeing Maestro Mateo's influence for the first time. Two sights await you, namely, the Collegiate Church of St. Mary in the Fields (Santa Mara del Campo), facing a delightful square, its three faades brimming

Church of Santa Mara del Sar. Santiago de Compostela

Church of St. Mary in the Field. A Corua

Among other items displayed in the Cathedral Museum is a reconstruction of Maestro Mateo's stone choir. Also make sure to visit the Gelmrez Palace, where the brackets of the dining hall portray endearing scenes of servants, musicians, guests, a savoury pie (empanada) served on a plate, etc. On the outskirts of Santiago is the Collegiate Church of Santa Mara del Sar (St. Mary Royal), supported by the external flying buttresses that prevent its leaning pillars and walls from collapsing. Regardless of whether the building's angle is due to seepage or perhaps even an error in construction, it this one feature that has made it famous.

why the area came to be called the Ribera Sacra. The scenery hereabouts is rugged and very much alive, the river cleaving through the rock to form canyons. The farthest point of interest along the Mio lies in Hospital de Incio. Here, St. Peter's reveals itself like a jewel in veined marble, shining in the sun. Present in the Bernadine St. Mary's Convent of Ferreira de Pantn is the limestone that allows for a sculptural feast, yet in the context of the Cistercian school such a show of decoration is somehow a little strange. In St. Michael's Church, Eire, a small tower recalls Castilian Romanesque, something without precedent in Galicia. Emerging from the resplendent greenery in Ribas de Mio is St. Stephen's Church (San Estevo), which once belonged to the former monastery and is noteworthy for its balanced proportions.

i.e., three arches and a central pier or mullion. Apostles, prophets, etc., occupy the same positions. Christ depicted in Transitional Romanesque Style will be found in the interior. Thereafter make for A Mezquita rather a strange place name for this area- where the Church of St. Peter stands bare of any additions and embellishments that might prevent its Romanesque handiwork from being appreciated to the full. The mouldings are surprisingly vivid, with wolves suckling and protecting lambs, a lamb rampant, etc. Further on, the Church of Santa Maria de Aguasantas adheres to the Cistercian pattern and to Templar

St. Saviour's. Vilar de Donas

St. Peter's. Hospital de Incio

St. John's. Portomarn

St. Michael's. Eire

Lugo
Roman walls, officially designated as a World Heritage site, encircle this former capital of Gallaecia and important communications hub. Head for the Cathedral, specifically its northern marble portal. A work of the first magnitude, its lintel bears a magnificent vesica containing Christ Panthocrator and a pendant of great technical virtuosity. Though well off the beaten track of the standard itineraries, it is essential that you reach San Martn de Mondoedo. Solitary and mysterious in its countryside setting by the sea, this church is the sole example of Romanesque in the area. Begun under Bishop St. Rosendus in the 10th century, it underwent
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several phases in its construction. The finely though primitively wrought capitals in the transept exude the unsuspected symbolism, singular beauty, balance and symmetry achieved by the Master of Mondoedo. The route leads on to Vilar de Donas. Here, surrounded by fields, its lichen-impregnated granite stippled in varied hues, is St. Saviour's. In Portomarn, the dam flooded the old town, but St. John's Church was moved, stone by stone, to its present location. It seems more like a fortress than a church, with its single nave and crenellated faade. Along their banks, the Mio and Sil Rivers house the best collection of Galician monastic buildings, which is

Ourense
It is difficult to draw up an itinerary hereabouts, since the sights are sprinkled over the greater metropolitan area and along the Ribera Sacra. A mature and austere Cistercian Romanesque, influenced by Maestro Mateo and Ourense Cathedral, is in evidence. Your first visit in the city of Ourense must be to the 12th-century Cathedral to see the Portico of Paradise. Influenced by Mateo, it appears to be a copy of the Portico of Glory. The arrangement is similar,
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Portico of Paradise. Ourense Cathedral

Santa Maria de Aguasantas. Allariz

functionalism with its austere and balanced ornamentation. In Allariz, the difference in floor level in the Parish Church of St. James enables one to get a close-up look at the enigmatic capitals, laden with symbolism. The motifs are a marvel of delicacy. St. Mary's Monastery in Xunqueira de Amba is the prototype of churches with a false triforium. Essentially a copy of Compostela, by raising the nave the whole was lent an ornamental function. This is a mature Romanesque structure which displays great balance. Along the Ribera Sacra, visit Santa Cristina de Ribas de Sil (St. Christine's). Getting there is to journey into a world of legend. With the Sil at its feet, enfolded in exuberant vegetation, the building calls for long contemplation. Its ground plan in the shape of a Latin cross is rare in Galicia. A door decorated with a zig-zag motif leads into cloisters, home to a somewhat disturbing capital with vying harpies, entwined by their tails. In San Estevo de Ribas de Sil, the passage of time has minimised the Romanesque work. Inside there is a 13th-century stone retable that could have been sculpted as a tympanum. As a finishing touch, travel on as far as Oseira, which ranks among the major monasteries in Spain. Alfonso VII presented this site to the hermits of St. Benito. Following the Cistercian reform, it was to be the first Benedictine monastery
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St. Mary's. Xunqueira de Amba

St. Stephen's Church (San Estevo). Ribas de Sil

Pontevedra
Church of St. Christine's de Ribas de Sil

The city of Pontevedra, studded with pazos (palatial manor-houses), emblazoned houses, arcades and charming corners, such as the Plaza de la Lea, has nothing in the way of Romanesque sights, yet its historic Old Quarter is nevertheless well worth visiting. In this province, there will be one itinerary along the coast and another inland. Tui Cathedral retains remnants of Romanesque in the transept and chapterhouse, and has a Latinate cruciform ground plan with a nave and two aisles, like that of Santiago. Inside, a varied array of themes is to be seen on the capitals, viz., combat, couples hand in hand, animals facing the spectator, plant motifs, etc. Situated nearby is St. Bartholomew of Rebordns, a church divorced from Compostelan influence. Its single most notable
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feature are its capitals: though crude, they depict scenes of great eloquence. The following stop is Bembrive. The Church of St. James retains its original architecture and sculpture. The outside is defined by a polygonal apse separated by columns, evocative capitals and corbels. While not allowing for detail, the use of granite has nonetheless enhanced the building's expressiveness. In Vigo, cross the

St. Mary's Monastery. Oseira

(of St. Bernard) in Galicia. The church is cast in the Compostelan mould. The interior is marked by elegance of line. The monks here make a delicious liqueur try it.

Tui Cathedral

estuary in the direction of Pontevedra and turn off to Armenteira, a monastery affected by the seizure and sale of church lands, and nowadays inhabited by a Cistercian community of nuns. The rigour governing the design is manifestly austere and grandiose, and is solely transgressed by an exquisite rose window.
St. Mary's Monastery. Armenteira

OTHER AREAS Guadalajara

Guadalajara, the great unknown so often evoked by the late Camilo Jos Cela, is sure to surprise those who venture to explore it. In the unsettled years that followed the conquest of Toledo, the Military Religious Orders took hold. The region's Romanesque is austere and serene, influenced by the Cistercian school. Pay your first call on Albendiego, in the Pela Range. The Church of Santa Coloma, surrounded by trees, beside a small brook, possesses an appealing apse with stone latticework. Campisbalos has a very homogeneous ensemble in the shape of the Chapel of St. Bartholomew and San Galindo (better known as St. Prudentius), with its depiction of the farming cycle. In Villacadima, St. Peter's bears austere plant-motif decoration on its portal. Visit the neighbouring Tejera Negra beech grove, the southernmost in Europe, which in autumn is a riot of colour. In Atienza, you will journey back to the Middle Ages. Outstanding among the town's several Romanesque churches is the Hermitage Chapel of St. Mary of the Valley (Santa Mara del Val), with a group of contortionists displayed on its door. Although it lies a short distance away, it is well worth the walk.
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In its rugged setting, the Church of St. Peter in Vilanova de Dozn affords an excellent example of rural Romanesque, its ornamentation consisting exclusively of plant or geometrical motifs. Of special interest is the east end, with a decoration of hanging arches resting on corbels. Hereafter, make for Carboeiro. St. Lawrence's, standing on the banks of a stream in the middle of the forest, was once a great 10th-century Benedictine monastery. Depicted on its portal are Ancients of the Apocalypse, calling

Sigenza Cathedral, dating from the 12th century, served as a model insofar as ornamentation and architecture were concerned, and preserves its Romanesque heritage intact in the Mercado and Corraln Doorways and in some sections of the middle apse. You are strongly advised to visit the Doncel Chapel, with the Gothic tomb of the page, Don Martn Vzquez de Arce. Other churches here are St. James' and

Church of St. Lawrences Carboeiro. Silleda

to mind the hand of Maestro Mateo. Beware lest you feel the earth rumbling or a magical sensation as you pass by!

Church of Santa Coloma. Albendiego

Chapel of San Bartolom & San Galindo. Campisbalos

St. Peters. Vilanova de Dozn

St. Peter's. Villacadima

St. Vincent's, the latter with archivolts decorated by Mudejar hands. Do not leave the town without having strolled along the Alameda or visited the castle. The Cistercian Order must take the credit for important monasteries, such as that of Bonaval, situated in a secluded and charming wooded valley on the banks of the River Jarama in Retiendas. Today all that is left are ruins, which allow the visitor to mentally reconstruct a small church with a nave and two aisles. The Monastery of Buenafuente del Sistal, in Olmeda de Cobeta, is the only inhabited monastery in the province. It has a ground plan of a single nave and square apse, and, under a niche framed by a round arch, lies the spring ("fuente") that gives the monastery its name. In the Monsalud Monastery in Crcoles, the first Cistercian abbey in the Alcarria district, notice the original Romanesque design with Gothic solutions in the adaptation of the rib vaulting. Both the interior and exterior positively breathe Cistercian solidity. Lastly there are: Belea de Sorbe, with what is one of the finest Romanesque farming calendars; Carabias, a paradigm of rural Romanesque; Jodr, of incredible perfection; and Pinilla de Jadraque and Sauca, with magnificent layered porticoes.

Cuenca
Romanesque influences arrived in Cuenca in the latter part of the 13th century, often at the hand of the Military Religious Orders. Outstanding local examples are the Church of Our Lady of

the Nativity, in Arcas, the purest southern Romanesque, and the Church of the Assumption in Valdeolivas, to the north, with a tower featuring double pointed window openings. The towns of Ribatajada and Alarcn likewise warrant mention.

Sigenza Cathedral

Bonaval Monastery. Retiendas Church of Our Lady of the Nativity. Arcas Church of the Assumption. Valdeolivas

Extremadura
Here too Romanesque made its appearance in the 13th century, in many cases erected over existing buildings, such as mosques or citadels (alcazabas). This is the case of Trujillo, where St Mary Major (Santa Mara la Mayor) possesses a lovely tower, some three storeys high, in which the openings increase from one to three as it rises. Similarly important is Plasencia, for the portal of its Old Cathedral, and the Romanesque to be seen in Hoyos, Jaraz de la Vera, Mrida, Alcntara and Alburquerque.
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Church of Pinilla de Jadraque

Church of the Assumption. Sauca

Church of St Mary Major. Trujillo

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GLOSSARY
Ambulatory (Girola) Semi-circular passageway running around the chancel. Anthropomorphic Representation that suggests the human form. Apse (bside). Generally circular (domed or vaulted) section lying at the east end of a church. Apsidiole. Radial apse chapel. Archivolts. Group of corbelled arches forming a portal. Arris (Arista). Curved line formed by the intersection of two vaults. Atrium. Colonnaded forecourt giving access to a building. Baquetn. Large bead moulding. Bracket (Mnsula). Moulding that serves as a support for any overhanging member. Chancel (Presbiterio). Raised area before the high altar, reserved for the clergy. Chrismon (or Crismon, symbolic monogram made up of Chi Rho, the first letters of the Greek word for Christ)
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Christ Panthocrator. Christ triumphant, depicted with the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Cilla. Pantry or storeroom in a monastery. Corbel (Canecillo). Ledge or projection supporting an overhanging member of the cornice. Drum (Tambor). Cylindrical wall supporting a dome. Eaves (Tejaroz). Cornice of a roof. Frieze. Horizontal decorative band or panel. Gallery or Tribune. Gallery running above the aisles of a church. Harpy. Mythological being with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. Hastial. Faade, often at the west end of a church. Hieratic. Rigid (i.e., styles or methods that adhere to certain fixed types or methods).

Impost (Imposta). Member, usually with a projected moulding, at the top of a wall or pier separating two floors of a building. Jamb. Vertical member supporting a lintel (but not a column). Lantern (Cimborrio). Tower crowning dome over the transept. Mullion or pier (Parteluz). Vertical member that divides the lights of a window. Mullioned (Ajimezada). Window divided by a colonette supporting twin arches. Narthex. Entrance hall at west end of church reserved for catechumens. Panda. Cloister gallery. Pendant (Pinjante). A hanging ornament Portico. Covered structure giving access to a building. Refectory. Monastery diningroom.

Rose window (Rosetn) Circular opening inserted above a portal. Rough ashlar (Sillarejo). Small roughly hewn and dressed ashlar. Rubble work (Mampostera) Undressed stone used for masonry. Spandrel (Enjuta). Space between arch and lintel. Transverse arch (Fajn). Arch built across the axis of the nave. Tympanum. Space between the lintel and archivolts of a portal. Vesica (Mandorla). A pointed, oval, almond-shaped aureole surrounding Christ on High.

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USEFUL ADDRESSES
International Prefix % 34 Tourist Information Telephone TURESPAA % 901 300 600 www.spain.info

Extremadura Crdenas, 11. Mrida % 924 381 300 www.turismoextremadura.com Galicia. Carretera de Noia Santiago de Compostela % 981 542 500 www.turgalicia.es La Rioja Belchite, 2. Logroo % 941 291 100 www.larioja.org Navarre. Parque de Toms Caballero, 1. Pamplona % 948 421 450 www.cfnavarra.es PARADORS (State-run hotels) Central booking office Requena, 3. 28013 Madrid % 915 166 666 ) 915 166 657 www.parador.es

SPANISH TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES ABROAD CANADA. Toronto Tourist Office of Spain 2 Bloor Street West Suite 3402 Toronto, Ontario M4W 3E2 % (1416) 961 31 31 ) (1416) 961 19 92 www.tourspain.toronto.on.ca e-mail: toronto@tourspain.es GREAT BRITAIN. London Spanish Tourist Office 22-23 Manchester Square London W1U 3PX % (44207) 486 80 77 ) (44207) 486 80 34 www.tourspain.co.uk e-mail: londres@tourspain.es JAPAN. Tokyo Tourist Office of Spain Daini Toranomon Denki Bldg.4F. 3-1-10. Toranomon. Minato-Ku TOKYO-105 % (813) 34 32 61 41 ) (813) 34 32 61 44 www.spaintour.com e-mail: tokio@tourspain.es RUSSIA. Moscow Spanish Tourist Office Tverskaya 16/2 Business Center "Galeria Aktor", 6th floor Moscow 103009 % (7095) 935 83 97 ) (7095) 935 83 96 www.ru.tourspain.es e-mail: moscu@tourspain.es SINGAPORE. Singapore Spanish Tourist Office 541 Orchard Road Liat Tower # 09-04 238881 Singapore % (6567) 37 30 08 ) (6567) 37 31 73 e-mail: singapore@tourspain.es

REGIONAL TOURIST AUTHORITIES Aragon Paseo Mara Agustn, 36. Zaragoza % 976 714 000 www.staragon.com Asturias Burriana, 7. Oviedo % 985 727 870 www.princast.es Basque Country. Duque de Wellington, 2. Vitoria-Gasteiz % 945 019 952 www.euskadi.net Cantabria Paseo de Pereda, 32. Santander % 942 318 950 www.cantabria.org Castile-La Mancha Avenida de Francia, 2. Toledo % 925 267 980 www.jccm.es Castile & Len Avenida Ramn Pradera. Valladolid % 983 360 556 www.jcyl.es Catalonia Paseo de Gracia, 105. Barcelona % 934 849 900 www.gencat.net

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Emergencies % 112 Medical Emergencies % 061 Civil Guard % 062 National Police % 091 Municipal Police % 092 Citizen Information % 010 Post Office % 902 197 197 www.correos.es SERVIBERIA % 902 400 500 www.iberia.es RENFE (National Railways) % 902 240 202 www.renfe.es Highway Information % 900 123 505 www.dgt.es

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Los Angeles Tourist Office of Spain 8383 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960 Beverly Hills, California 90211 % 1(323) 658 71 88 ) 1(323) 658 10 61 www.okspain.org e-mail: losangeles@tourspain.es Chicago Tourist Office of Spain Water Tower Place, suite 915 East 845 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60 611 % 1(312) 642 19 92 ) 1(312) 642 98 17 www.okspain.org e-mail: chicago@tourspain.es Miami Tourist Office of Spain 1221 Brickell Avenue Miami, Florida 33131 % 1(305) 358 19 92 ) 1(305) 358 82 23 www.okspain.org e-mail: miami@tourspain.es New York Tourist Office of Spain 666 Fifth Avenue 35th floor New York, New York 10103 % 1(212) 265 88 22 ) 1(212) 265 88 64 www.okspain.org e-mail: nuevayork@tourspain.es EMBASSIES IN MADRID Canada. Nez de Balboa, 35. 3 % 914 233 250 ) 914 233 251 Great Britain Fernando El Santo, 16 % 913 190 200 ) 913 081 033 Japan. Serrano, 109 % 915 907 600 ) 915 901 321 Russia. Velzquez, 155 % 915 622 264 ) 915 629 712 United States of America Serrano, 75 % 915 872 200 ) 915 872 303