San Miguel de Escalada

San Miguel de Escalada is a church located in Spain, to 30 km in the North-East of León.

True jewel of León, this monastery is drawn up in an arid site, out of the current Chemin of Compostelle, in the North-East of Mansilla.

History

Under the reign of Muhammad I {{er}} (852-886), emir of Cordoue, the Christians of Al-Andalus were persecuted and had of another alternative only to convert or flee towards the north of the Iberian peninsula. Thus under the reign of the king of the Asturies Alphonse III (866-910), a community of monks come from Cordoue, probably placed under the rule of saint Isidore of Seville, bases the monastery of San Miguel of Escalada, on grounds yielded by the sovereign. Under the authority of their Alfonso abbot, a church is built at once and quickly, on the ruins of a church wisigothe placed under the term of the archangel holy Michel.

A new church was devoted by the bishop of Astorga, on November 20th into 951 of the era Hispanique or 913 of the Latin era, the primitive sanctuary having become too exiguous, vis-a-vis the increase in the manpower of the monastery.

In the middle of XIe century, whereas the community adopts the Règle of saint Benoît, the church sudden of new transformations. The external gallery is gone back to 1050 and takes as a starting point the Islamic architecture (Moorish arches, polished columns) and Christian woman (sculpture by the capitals. The turn-bell-tower, always of XIe century, is as for it Romance.

It is in this monastery, towards 950, that “archipictor” Magius celebrates it carried out a codex of the Apocalypse of Jean saint currently preserved at the Pierpont Morgan Library. The Manuscript in Spanish and Image

The church

The gallery-porch

The entry is located at the south, behind the gallery-porch with exceeded arcades (inspired by the style of the Omeyyades of Spain) built towards 930. The porch reaches a " grace aérienne" thanks to the twelve horseshoe arcs, which one will find in manuscripts of the Commentaire on the Apocalypse of Béatus de Liebana. Perhaps the number of twelve arcs points out the twelve doors of the New Jerusalem in the Apocalypse, testifying to the new breath which inspires, as of Xe century, the architecture of the Christians of the north of Spain. A capital of the Gallery

Interior

The plan is basilical with three naves and six covered spans of a wood frame. On that on the side the bedside, broadest, which acts as transept, a portqiue of three arcades leads to three arched apses. This gantry is surmounted by a balustrade carved in flat part of reasons for wisigothe influence (picorant bird and bunch of grapes) and Islamic (stylized foliages.)

These three apses, which have a outline drawing of horseshoe, could point out the mihrabs contemporary Spanish mosques. Art Mozarab, i.e. the art of the Christians living in Al-Andalus uses in the same way the horseshoe shape, and could have directly influenced the architecture of the church.

The central nave is raised by two arcades with Moorish arches, which support of the columns of which several are ancient re-employments. In the gouttereaux walls windows open which clarify space liberally. The light penetrates with flood by the main door located at the south. Internal space, is partitioned by Wall-sideboards and arcades. On the right, one is jubé that were to close curtains during the sacrifice of the mass.

In spite of its low dimensions, this building gives the impression of an expansion of columns, a little with the manner of the large mosque hypostyle of Cordoue. This church being the work of monks coming precisely from the capital of the emirate, the reminiscence is undoubtedly not the result of the chance. The nave.

See too

the Art Mozarab
the Art of repopulation in Spain
the Art Visigoth
El Camino frances

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