Old Cathedral of Plasencia

Romanesque/Gothic cathedral in Plasencia, Spain

Church in Plasencia, Spain

40°01′41″N 6°05′28″W / 40.02793°N 6.09112°W / 40.02793; -6.09112LocationPlasencia, SpainDenominationRoman Catholic ChurchArchitectureHeritage designationBien de Interés CulturalStyleRomantic, GothicYears built13th–15th centuriesAdministrationDioceseRoman Catholic Diocese of Plasencia

The Old Cathedral of Plasencia (Spanish: Catedral vieja de Plasencia or Catedral de Santa María) is a Roman Catholic church in the city of Plasencia, Province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. It is one of two buildings that make up the Cathedral of Plasencia, along with the New Cathedral. Commonly known as the Cathedral Museum of Plasencia, the building is an example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic architecture, and is one of the most notable buildings in the town.

Construction began at the beginning of the 13th century, and the last proto-Gothic contributions occurred in the 15th century. During these centuries, architecture was carried out by teachers such as Juan Francés, Juan Pérez or Diego Díaz. It is currently considered Bien de Interés Cultural (a 'Good of Cultural Interest').

History

The Old Cathedral of Plasencia is an example of transitional architecture with elements of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. To the Romanesque style belong the fustis and capitals of its columns, while to the Gothic style belong its arches and windows, discovered in one of the most recent restorations. Its three naves were covered from the 18th century by a thick mantle of lime, which only after decaying has allowed observers to admire the slenderness of a solemn cathedral.

During the second stage of construction, during the 14th century, the church, the bell tower, and the eastern and southern rooms of the cloister were completed.

In the third and last stage, during the 15th century, the main chapel of the church was modified, and the cloister was finished on the west and south sides. At this time, foundation problems were encountered, which caused the collapse of part of the western portal whose reform was used to create new burial chapels in the church. In this period, the last master builders of the church were Juan Martín and Bishop Pedro Jiménez.

The cathedral was declared a Monumento Histórico-Artístico belonging to the National Artistic Treasury of Spain by a decree of 3 June 1931.^[1] It is listed on the Spanish national heritage register Bien de Interés Cultural.

Currently, the cathedral is dedicated in part to the Cathedral Museum of Plasencia, which includes a set of paintings and sculptures by Spanish and Flemish Renaissance artists such as Luis de Morales and Gerard David. It also exhibits religious ornaments and devotional objects from the 15th to the 17th centuries.

Building

In the parts that are still standing today, the Romanesque origins are visible, although sometimes the solutions used were close to the proto-Gothic style. It corresponded to the type of Romanesque church with three naves, with a larger central apse and two smaller ones on the sides, although currently there are three naves without apses. The highest central nave maintains its original ribbed vaults with tiercerons and simple vaults in the lateral naves.

Originally, the back wall was formed by the main chapel, separated from the main nave by a small stairway. On both sides were two other smaller chapels. The one on the Gospel side was called that of the crucifix, and the one on the Epistle side was called Our Lady of Forgiveness or of the Blessed Sacrament because the tabernacle was located there. The images in these chapels were placed in new locations, like the Chapel of San Pablo, or different places in the New Cathedral. Currently, in a small altarpiece in the central chapel, a carving of the young Virgin is venerated.

Main Entrance

The main entrance is an example of Romanesque architecture, with semicircular arches with the classic archivolts over which is a sculptural group carved in stone of the Annunciation of Our Lady, which also appears on the rose window in a small image, and before her a praying angel.

Cloister

The cloister, with an irregular plan, bears a transition from Romanesque to Gothic typical of medieval cathedrals. It is reminiscent of the Romanesque style in its columns and capitals, with biblical scenes and references to the Gothic style in the arches and ribbed vaults. The west and south naves are Cistercian style. The center of the courtyard contains a Gothic fountain from the 15th century, with coats of arms of the bishop and cardinal Juan de Carvajal.

It currently serves as a meeting point and junction between the two cathedrals and hosts tombs of distinguished clergy on the pavement.^{[citation needed]}

Chapel of San Pablo or Torre del Melón

If there is one part of the Romanesque building that should stand out, it is undoubtedly the old Chapter House or Chapel of San Pablo popularly known as Torre del Melón due to the grooved sphere at the top.

The Chapel of San Pablo follows the model of the group of "lantern towers" of the Kingdom of León's cathedrals of Zamora and Salamanca, the collegiate church of Toro, as well as the Cathedral of Évora in Portugal. Its initial origin is to be found in the French Romanesque, particularly in the religious buildings of the Poitou region. Miguel Sobrino has suggested the now-gone Romanesque dome over the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the first of the type of dome also used in the Old Cathedral of Plasencia.^[2] Undoubtedly, that of Plasencia is the latest of all and close in its construction to the Torre del Gallo of the Old Cathedral of Salamanca. The most suitable date for the completion of its works would be 1270, at the hands of the master builder Gil de Císlar, a possible master stonemason trained in Petrus Petri's workshop.

It is a room with a square floor, which becomes an octagon through ribbed tubes that make up a vault with sixteen ribs. On the outside, the double canopy dome is a steep and conical element, covered with layers in the form of scales, which hinder the erosion that rainwater can produce. At the highest point, it ends with a fluted ball, which has given rise to the popular name of Torre del Melón.

Sometimes, changes in the use of the chapter house led to changes in adaptability, as occurred in 1508, when the library donated by Dr. Gutiérrez Álvarez was installed in it, or as in 1544 when it was converted into the main chapel while the back wall of the cathedral was demolished.

References

^ Decree of the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts published in La Gaceta de Madrid No. 155 of 4 June 1931, available online at: [1]
^ Sadia, José María (6 August 2022). "El desconocido origen de los cimborrios románicos apunta a Compostela". ElDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2022.

Bibliography

CALLE CALLE, Francisco Vicente, Plasencia. "Misterios" en las Catedrales, www.bubok.com, 2008.
ARAUJO, S. NADAL, J. "Restauración del conjunto Catedrales-Palacio Episcopal de Plasencia", 1995.
Gómez Moreno, Manuel (1941). Las águilas del renacimiento español: Barlolomé Ordóñez, Diego Siloé, Pedro Machuca, Alonso Berruguete. 1517-1558. Gráficas Uguina.
La arquitectura religiosa en Plasencia. Las catedrales antigua y nueva. VIII Centenario de la diócesis de Plasencia. Jornadas de estudios históricos. pp. 107 a 142 . Plasencia 1990.
Las catedrales de Plasencia. Rev. El Urogallo, diciembre de 1995.