San Benito el Real, Valladolid: Difference between revisions

Current facade of the Church of San Benito el Real.

The Church of San Benito el Real is Benedictin church located in Valladolid in Castile and León (Spain).

It was erected on the old Royal Alcázar of Valladolid and is made in Gothic style; although the facade in gate-tower shaped is later: was designed by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón in 1569. Originally, this tower had considerably more high thanks to the existence of two other bodies for the bell tower, that were on the current, and were shot down in the 19th century for threatening ruin.

History

Drawing representing the church as it was before the demolition in the 19th century, the two bodies of the bell tower.

Old Postal of the building in 1924.

Interior from the feet, with the fence.

The church was built from 1499 to 1515, following plans of Juan de Arandia and García de Olave. It is completely built in stone.

It is organized by three naves, which end in three polygonal apses and not has cruise. The aisles are very high and its height difference with the center is scarce, so it can say that this church is the type of church-hall, widespread in the first half of 16th century, creating buildings of an interesting and great spatiality as the present one.

The lighting is resolved from large holes, that it open in the wall of the lateral nave of the side of the Epistle and in the apses. Originally, there were also some holes in the central nave, covered following the lifting of the rooftops towards 1580. In the section of the feet is the high choir, covering the three naves of the church.

On the outside, the building has thick walls of limestone (extracted from quarries near Valladolid, like Villanubla, Zaratán or Campaspero) and large windows that illuminate the spacious interior. The side facades are articulated by buttresses that counteract the thrust of the vaults with terceletes with which it is covered on the inside. The pillars that divide the naves are baquetonates. It can be seen that the closer sections to the head have decorated capitals and cornices, which disappears in the sections of the feet, more austere. This may be due to the search for a cheaper budget as advanced the works, begun by the head, to the medieval custom.

Given that the Benedictines had then so much power and being this its main house in Castile, the church holded artworks of high quality.

Artistic value

Sculpture of the Sacrifice of Isaac by Alonso Berruguete.

Detail of the fence.

San Benito in night.

File:Boveda de la iglesia del monasterio de san benito el real.jpg

Vault of San Benito.

Among the treasures that were in the church include the Altarpiece of San Benito el Real of Valladolid and the choir stalls, which was in the central nave.

As for the stalls, this was built by Andres de Nájera and completed in 1528. It has low and high chairs and was available in the central nave. The fate of this stalls was used for the annual meetings of the abbots of Castilian monasteries of the Benedictine order, which took place in this church. Thus, in the backs of high chairs, appear the saints who were advocated the different Spanish Benedictine houses and can easily find each abbot its seat thanks to the backup image. The style of the stalls is the Plateresque. The new style to the Roman from Italy was entering in Spain. Appear decorations that are based on the paintings of Domus Aurea of Rome and at that time these were discovering and were studied by all the artists who had the opportunity. The images of saints have also completely abandoned the Gothic forms and because of its beauty and studied proportions is perceived in them the beating of the humanism. The quality of the sculpture is very high and many authors say this is one of the best stalls exist in Spain.

In 1571 was put the fence covering the three naves settled and divided transversely the church into two nested parts: the feet, for the common people, and the header, intended for monks. The fence is work by Tomás Celma and is a estimable sample of the fencery at the time.

In addition to the altar and choir stalls were in the church other works of art of great value: small altars, tombs, organs, and so on.

After the confiscation of Mendizábal in 1835, the monastery became in fort and barracks, closing the cult church, which was stripped of the works of art this possessed. Fortunately, it keep the stalls and much of the altarpiece in the National Museum of the College of San Gregorio of Valladolid. The fence is all that remained in the church and had not damage suffered. From the middle of the 19th century, many voices called for the reopening of the church; and finally achieved in 1892, being in charge of the cult the Venerable Third Order of the Carmel. From 1897 it is Order of the Barefoot Carmelite which takes care of the church. In 1922 was installed a new Baroque altarpiece, from a church of the town of Portillo (Castile and León).

Adjoins the church is the great monastic building, which has three cloisters, one of them the known Patio Herreriano, now a museum of contemporary art, and a Mannerist main facade designed by Juan Ribero de Rada.

At present, the prior of the convent is Juan Jesús Sánchez Sánchez, from the convent of the Carmelite Fathers of Medina del Campo.

Bibliography

• María del Rosario Olivera Arranz (2002). "Valladolid". Encyclopedia of the Romanesque in Castile and León: Valladolid. Aguilar de Campoo: Fundación Santa María la Real - Centro de Estudios del Románico. pp. 433–438. ISBN 978-84-89483-22-4. 1nFDEol8FO4C&pg=PA433.

External links

• monestirs.cat. "Monasterio de San Benito el Real de Valladolid".
• Valladolid Web. "Iglesia de San Benito el Real".