Santa María de Melque
Encyclopedia
Santa María de Melque is a church in the border municipality of San Martín de Montalbán in the province of Toledo
(in Spain
), 30 km south of the capital, and equidistant from the towns of La Puebla de Montalbán
and Gálvez, between the brook Ripas and the river Torcón, a tributary of the river Tagus
.
Of the entire complex, recently restored, the church stands out, exemplary Mozarabic-Visigothic, as the most important religious monument of the Early Middle Ages
in Spain.
Currently, the church, which occupies the center of the complex, and the center of interpretation which has been installed in the adjoining rooms, also restored, can be visited. The scenery that is observed from Santa María is also characteristic of the area.
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Santa María de Melque came into being as a monastic collection in the 7th and 8th centuries inside of what was the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom
, Toledo
. Construction commenced in the 7th century, coinciding with the end of the Visigothic kingdom, and probably came to a halt with the arrival of the Arabs, to be continued later.
There was originally a Roman
settlement on that location, with five dams across the two brooks that surround the small, rocky hill. Next the monastery was built with the buildings organized around the church.
The Muslim conquest of the Iberian peninsula did not immediately end with this monastic nucleus, because there are testimonies of the survival of a Mozarabic community that later disappeared. Its constructions were used as urban nucleus and its church was fortified with the construction of a tower on the dome of the church, tower that is still preserved. Water from rain and from the gullys was detained by means of dams placed both sides of the complex.
With the conquest of Toledo by King Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085, the temple recovered its liturgical function without losing its military function. The anthropomorphic tombs located to the east and the remains of barbicans that remain are testimonies of this historic period.
It was constructed in 8th century and it's the first one-half monument better preserved of the Spanish High Middle Ages
. Its constructive technique is the architecture's direct inheritance late roman.
However, the lack of decorative elements preserved (filigrees of stucco in the transverse arches of the crossing) that still can be seen in the background of the southern arm of the crossing suggests that Melque could be at first a mausoleum, destined to burial of a distinguished personage from Toledo's Visigothic Kingdom
. The church was later redesigned on at least two occasions.
The Knights Templar
turned the church into defensive tower, like a turris as the Romans
used to. This tower over the dome base has been recently dismounted. It had a porch with three openings which no longer exists.
The plant is cruciform, with a central apse: the two lateral apses were added later. It keeps in good condition its different naves, some side chapels and a parlor with very pronounced horseshoe arches. And a niche probably for the founder of the temple.
The presbytery is large correspondingly to a monastic community with Round arches at both sides. Also is preserved a moorish tower over the vault.
It was made with enormous unmortared blocks which look like the Aqueduct of Segovia
. The molduration is calculated in Roman cubits
, similar to the San Pedro of Arisgotas molduration, also in Toledo
.
This church has contributions of clearly Visigothic style with new solutions that the mozarabs contribute, and besides memories of the Roman style:
Toledo (province)
Toledo is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is bordered by the provinces of Madrid, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Badajoz, Cáceres, and Ávila....
(in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), 30 km south of the capital, and equidistant from the towns of La Puebla de Montalbán
La Puebla de Montalbán
La Puebla de Montalbán is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.Located in a plain of the River Tajo.-Government:...
and Gálvez, between the brook Ripas and the river Torcón, a tributary of the river Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
.
Of the entire complex, recently restored, the church stands out, exemplary Mozarabic-Visigothic, as the most important religious monument of the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
in Spain.
Currently, the church, which occupies the center of the complex, and the center of interpretation which has been installed in the adjoining rooms, also restored, can be visited. The scenery that is observed from Santa María is also characteristic of the area.
History
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom was a kingdom which occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to 8th century AD. One of the Germanic successor states to the Western Roman Empire, it was originally created by the settlement of the Visigoths under King Wallia in the province of...
, Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
. Construction commenced in the 7th century, coinciding with the end of the Visigothic kingdom, and probably came to a halt with the arrival of the Arabs, to be continued later.
There was originally a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement on that location, with five dams across the two brooks that surround the small, rocky hill. Next the monastery was built with the buildings organized around the church.
The Muslim conquest of the Iberian peninsula did not immediately end with this monastic nucleus, because there are testimonies of the survival of a Mozarabic community that later disappeared. Its constructions were used as urban nucleus and its church was fortified with the construction of a tower on the dome of the church, tower that is still preserved. Water from rain and from the gullys was detained by means of dams placed both sides of the complex.
With the conquest of Toledo by King Alfonso VI of León and Castile in 1085, the temple recovered its liturgical function without losing its military function. The anthropomorphic tombs located to the east and the remains of barbicans that remain are testimonies of this historic period.
Architecture
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
. Its constructive technique is the architecture's direct inheritance late roman.
However, the lack of decorative elements preserved (filigrees of stucco in the transverse arches of the crossing) that still can be seen in the background of the southern arm of the crossing suggests that Melque could be at first a mausoleum, destined to burial of a distinguished personage from Toledo's Visigothic Kingdom
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom was a kingdom which occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to 8th century AD. One of the Germanic successor states to the Western Roman Empire, it was originally created by the settlement of the Visigoths under King Wallia in the province of...
. The church was later redesigned on at least two occasions.
The Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
turned the church into defensive tower, like a turris as the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
used to. This tower over the dome base has been recently dismounted. It had a porch with three openings which no longer exists.
The plant is cruciform, with a central apse: the two lateral apses were added later. It keeps in good condition its different naves, some side chapels and a parlor with very pronounced horseshoe arches. And a niche probably for the founder of the temple.
The presbytery is large correspondingly to a monastic community with Round arches at both sides. Also is preserved a moorish tower over the vault.
It was made with enormous unmortared blocks which look like the Aqueduct of Segovia
Aqueduct of Segovia
The Aqueduct of Segovia is a Roman aqueduct and one of the most significant and best-preserved ancient monuments left on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The molduration is calculated in Roman cubits
Ancient Roman units of measurement
The ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Hellenic system with Egyptian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian influences. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.-Length:Notes...
, similar to the San Pedro of Arisgotas molduration, also in Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
.
This church has contributions of clearly Visigothic style with new solutions that the mozarabs contribute, and besides memories of the Roman style:
- Visigothic contributions: the horseshoe arch that supports the apse's vault, surpassing 1/3 of the radium. The set unprovided of remains sculptured, of Visigothic tradition. The arcosoliumArcosoliumAn arcosolium is an arched recess used as a place of entombment. The word is from Latin arcus, "arch", and solium, "sill" ....
. - Mozarabic contributions: central horseshoe arches of surpassing 1/2 of the radium. Arches of the windows in 2/3. Strange semicircular pilasters of the inside that neither may be considered semi-detached.
- Innovations: the circular reduction of the corners in its 4 facades and the vertical crack at both sides, having the appearance of pseudo columns. It looks like the columns placed at the corners of the lantern towers of Romanesque Norman style. It's an unprecedented solution.
- Roman style: The enormous granite blocks, the molduration in Roman cubitsAncient Roman units of measurementThe ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Hellenic system with Egyptian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian influences. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.-Length:Notes...
, its plant is comparable to Mausoleum of Galla PlacidiaMausoleum of Galla PlacidiaThe Mausoleum of Galla Placidia is a Roman building in Ravenna, Italy. It was listed with seven other structures in Ravenna in the World Heritage List in 1996...
in RavennaRavennaRavenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
(ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
).
External links
- http://www.turismo-prerromanico.es/arterural/smmelque/smmelqueficing.htm Spanish Pre-Romanesque Art Guide; Santa María de Melque.
- http://www.circuloromanico.com/index.php?menu_id=9&jera_id=500&page_id=396 Photographic journey through the temple Spanish Visigothic of St. Mary of Melque.