Global InformationPortico of Glory information
 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Galician. (June 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
The Portico of Glory (Galician: Pórtico da Gloria) of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a Romanesque portico and the cathedral's main gate created by Master Mateo and his workshop, on the orders of King Ferdinand II of León. The king donated to Mateo one hundred maravedís annually between 1168 and 1188. To commemorate its completion in 1188, the date was carved on a stone set in the cathedral and on the lintel that supports the richly ornamental tympanum.[1] Under the contract made in 1168, if Mateo was to renege on the deal to create the portico at any time, he would have to pay 1,000 gold pieces (aureos).[2] The complete three-piece set took until 1211 to completely finish; when the cathedral was consecrated in the presence of King Alfonso IX of León.[3][4]
Originally projected as a four-part division, it was modified into a three-part format, which changed the proportions of the entire portal.[5] With over 200 Romanesque style sculptures, the portico is the artistic high-point of the cathedral and often considered the greatest work of Spanish Romanesque sculpture.[6][7] The Pórtico de la Gloria consists of an inner double-arched porch and finished with an outer western façade.[1] The lateral archivolts were left undecorated, which might have been due to time restraints to finish the gate for the Jubilee of 1182 and formal procession of pilgrims.[8]
The pure Romanesque fabric was altered slightly and later encased with a Baroque facade. Before the facade was erected, the portico would be seen from afar and would take pilgrims up a large flight of stairs to approach it. Without door valves, the three large arches were decorated with angels and foliage and framed the ciborium and altar at the end of the nave. Prophets and apostles form the columns and jambs welcoming pilgrims inside the church.[5]
Though the portal was originally poly-chromed, the numerous traces of the remaining paint seen today are due to later interventions. Records show that the portico was repainted often with contracts surviving from the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.[5] Two types of paintings are distinguishable now on the structure. On some of the figures, the paint is powdery; the colors are light, soft and clear without any additional ornaments. This dates back to the fifteenth or sixteenth century.[5] The more enamel-like painting is harsher and darker with ornamental patterns dated back to the 17th century in a similar style to offering boxes in 1656.[8]
Concealed now by the Churrigueresque west front, the porch or narthex is no longer viewable from the exterior. The church is responsible for the preservation of the portal to this day.[9] The doors were never closed day or night in the Middle Ages.[5][note 1][10]
- ^ a b Münchmeyer, Annette; Kruse, Sönke (2009). "Master Mateo – Skilled Artist or Medieval Engineer" (PDF). Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Construction History.
- ^ Ward, Michael L. (1978). Studies on the Portico de la Gloria of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. p. 178.
- ^ Bravo Lozano, Millán (1999). Camino de Santiago Inolvidable. León. ISBN 84-241-3905-4.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Armesto, V. (1971). Galicia feudal. Galaxia. pp. 188–287.
- ^ a b c d e Stokstad, Marilyn (1978). Santiago de Compostela in the age of the great pilgrimages. OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
- ^ "Santiago de Compostela Cathedral". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Master Mateo (active 1168–1188)". Visual Arts Cork. 26 June 2015.
- ^ a b Stokstad, Marilyn (1957). "The Portico de la Gloria of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela". University of Michigan: ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
- ^ Hartley, Catherine G. (2007). The Story of Santiago de Compostela – Medieval Town Series. University of Michigan: J. M. Dent & sons, ltd.
- ^ Pack, Sasha D. (2010). "Revival of the Pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela: The Politics of Religious, National, and European Patrimony, 1879–1988". The Journal of Modern History. 82 (2): 335–367. doi:10.1086/651613. JSTOR 10.1086/651613. S2CID 145786983.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).