This is a very memorable City for us going way back many years, My dear Mom Gladys told me about it and we came eventually and have ever since with the family. I am glad found me this picture in my cd rom vaults that should be in my blog for you and me, This church needs more and we shall return, eventually, The City of Calatayud is in the province of Zaragoza in the autonomous community of Aragon , and in the kingdom of Spain, Therefore, here is my take on the Colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor of Calatayud !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor, aka the Collegiate Church of the Assumption of the Virgin , was built on the site of a former mosque starting in 1120. Located in the heart of the medieval town, it was initially called Santa María de Mediavilla (Saint Mary of the Middle Town). After Calatayud surrendered to the Aragonese monarch Alfonso I the Battler in 1120, the mosque was purified and consecrated as a church dedicated to Saint Mary. The Romanesque structure likely suffered significant damage during the War of the Two Peters (1356-1369). Therefore, reconstruction was necessary during the last decades of the 14C, and the first decades of the 15C, In 2001, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the preserved Mudéjar elements: the cloister, the tower, and the apse.
The monumental portal of the Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor, located in its southern transept, was conceived on September 13, 1524. On February 5, 1525, the project was formalized through a contract between the bishop, the dean, and the cathedral chapter for its execution. Construction was completed in 1528. The portal’s architectural structure is based on the typology of a 1C Roman triumphal arch, divided into two sections: the main section rises from a plain base, with two large columns with balustraded shafts supporting a richly decorated entablature; and the whole is crowned by a shell-shaped attic with a straight pediment. The complex iconographic program is articulated around a central axis dedicated to the Holy Trinity, represented by the Virgin and Child above the keystone of the arch and Pentecost in the narrative relief of the attic. On the jambs, the testificatio displays sculptures of saints and figures from the New Testament, including Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and the two Saints John housed in niches. The oak and walnut doors, have three tiers with panels that include grotesques and candelabra of Tuscan-Lombard inspiration, with the relief of the Annunciation on the third tier being particularly noteworthy.
The Mudéjar Tower has an octagonal floor plan and features buttresses at its corners. Its construction took place in successive phases, which makes it difficult to precisely date its chronology, especially in the initial periods. It is estimated that its construction spanned at least two centuries. It has a total height of 70 meters, currently being the tallest Mudéjar tower of its style. The tower comprises five sections, separated by stringcourses.
The renovation of the apse, carried out simultaneously with the increase in the tower’s height, involved the addition of a new structural section. This extension was built upon the original seven sections dating from the 15th century, but its design was reduced to four sections in total, distributed on two distinct levels.
The official church colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor : https://colegiatadesantamaria.es/
The City of Calatayud on the colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor : https://www.calatayud.es/turismo/ficha_visitar/colegiata-de-santa-maria-la-mayor
The Aragon region tourist office on the colegiata de Santa Maria la Mayor : https://www.turismodearagon.com/ficha/colegiata-de-santa-maria-calatayud/
The province of Zaragoza on Calatayud: https://www.turismodezaragoza.es/provincia/comarcas/comarca-calatayud.html
The Spain National Tourist Office on Calatayud: https://www.spain.info/en/destination/calatayud/
There you go another jewel in my memorable Calatayud, yes indeed. We shall meet again if you are going by Calatayud ,eventually, This is worth the detour, and we will, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor of Calatayud !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
