Monastery of Uclés

The Monastery de Santiago de Uclés is in the Spanish town of Uclés in Castile-La Mancha and was built by the Order of Santiago, whose main headquarters (Caput Ordinis, "Head of the order") was there.

Location

The monastery is at the top of a hill, at the foot of the east, it unfolds the town of Uclés. The monastery is part of a large complex of buildings built during different historical periods, beginning during the Muslim domination, reaching its fullness as a fortress during its possession by the Order of Santiago, which were their most important home and acquiring its present aspect once ended the Reconquista.

History

View of the Monasterio de Uclés on top of the hill of El Portillo (from the West).

Engraving of Francisco Javier Parcerisa in 1853, shows the spires of the monastery, later were lopped due to a 1877 fire, and not were restored.^[1]

The hill on which the monastery is located was the site in the ancient times of a Celtiberian castro. But would the Muslims who left a greater mark until the great Christian reform in the 16th century. Being Al-Fath ben Musa ben Dhi-l-Num in 893, to withdraw from Toledo making Uqlish (Uclés) its capital, building a new alcazaba in the 896.

After being definitely conquered by the Christians, King Alfonso VIII of Castile in 1174 ceded the castle to the Order of Santiago, becoming its main headquarters. Over time, it formed an intricate set of dependencies where the members of the order, who resided there, joined the fortress and the church that had been built after the Christian conquest.

After the end of the Reconquista, the set of buildings underwent a radical remodeling, which wiped out much of the defensive elements of the castle and gave it its current appearance. Not so with the walls, which are still preserved: a first wall protected the old orchard, watered with the waters of the Bedija river; a second, currently in very poor condition, still shows traces of its disposal in the form of sawtooth.

The construction of the monastery began on May 7, 1529, during the reign of Carlos V, Holy Roman Emperor (the crown had acquired in 16th century the maestrazgo of the order), starting in the east wing, which is of Plateresque style. The original traces are by Enrique Egas. In the last quarter of the 16th-century the construction of the church of the Herrerian style was began. Later in the 17th-century the work on the courtyard and the main staircase continued, and the west and south wings was concluded. The work was completed in 1735 under the reign of Philip V, building the body the east nave and completing the main cover in the Churrigueresque style. For its construction, stone from the hill "Cabeza del Griego" (Segobriga) was used, particularly in the eastern façade.

In 1836, with the confiscation of Mendizábal, the Order of Santiago had to leave the building. In the early 20th century the monastery was intended to secondary school, and later to novitiate and college of Augustinians, until that in 1936 it was looted and smashed inside, settled then in it a makeshift hospital. Finished the Spanish Civil War, was dedicated to prison for political prisoners between 1939 and 1943, during which time died some prisoners, executed under sentence or because of various diseases and were buried in an area outside the monastery, known as "La Tahona". Closed the prison, was restored and hosted in October 1949 the minor seminary of the bishopric of Cuenca, with the name of Minor Seminary "Santiago Apóstol".

Bien de Interés Cultural

The monastery was declared a National Monument on 3 June 1931.^[2] Under the protection of the Generic declaration of the Decree of April 22, 1949, and the Law 16/1985 on Spanish Historical Heritage. In 2003 protection was extended to its environment.^[3]

Monastery

The result of the long period during which were carried out the works, can be seen in the monastery three architectural styles: Plateresque, Herrerian and Churrigueresque, making it an ideal place for a review of history of art. The east wing of the monastery, of the first half of the 16th century, was executed in Plateresque style. The church, which occupies the north wing, and was completed in 1602, is of Herrerian style. The rest of the monastery, built in the 17th century is of Baroque and culminates with its Churrigueresque facade work by Pedro de Ribera.

Plateresque Style

Eastern facade.

It is so named because its decoration imitates the filigrees that the goldsmiths performed on silver. The building was designed by Enrique Egas and its execution corresponds to the following masters: Francisco de Luna, Pedro de Vandelvira, Gaspar de Vega, Pedro Tolosa, Diego de Alcántara and Bartolomé Ruiz (16th century).

The Plateresque decoration is clearly seen in the windows of the eastern facade where is appraised certain asymmetry. Are repeated the motifs: skulls, shells, crosses and allegorical motifs. The coffered of its refectory, woodcarving of longleaf pine, is composed of thirty-six coffers corresponding to thirty-six busts of masters, priors and knights of the Order of Santiago. Prominent among them the dedicated to Don Álvaro de Luna (instead of his effigy contains a crowned skull surrounded by the inscription You, noble barons, know that i to no one forgive, referring to the death) and the Carlos V, Holy Roman Emperor which occupies the central place with its imperial attributes: a sword and an orb. On the south side contains a shield of Spain. The old sacristy has two naves at right angles. Its dome is ribbed with ogival elements. The Plateresque work cover friezes, columns and pilasters.

View of the tower of the head of the church from the patio.

Herrerian Style

The church is work by Francisco de Mora (disciple of Juan de Herrera, architect of El Escorial), which was in charge of the works for twenty years. So sometimes is called the monastery as the "Escorial of La Mancha".^[4] Is of Latin cross and has a single nave with five sections and a high choir. Sixty-five meters long and twelve wide. The cross is higher and it close in lantern shape. The dome is of half orange and is adorned with gores on scallops, is of Antonio Segura. The cross is separated by a grille decorated with the royal arms and the cross of Saint James. In its only nave it form side chapels interconnected (where there is currently an exhibition on the history of the Order of Santiago) that form as two aisles. Its construction was completed in 1598.

The altarpiece is of Greco-Roman style with Baroque trends. It was commissioned to Francisco García Dardero. The painting of Saint James presiding the altarpiece is by Francisco Rizi painter of Philip IV.

Herrerian architecture. Francisco de Mora.

The pantheon. Between the sacristy and the church is the entrance to the crypt, which has a Latin cross. Today is intended for theater and there are no remains of burials. The old church was grave of illustrious personages of the Order of Santiago. There were buried Doña Urraca, the Grand Master Rodrigo Manrique and his wife, and his famous son Jorge Manrique and many personages more of the Order. By building the present church (1602) the graves existing in the church of Santiago were relocated in a subterranean of the same, which is coming down a ladder of eighty steps that had in a chapel under the choir.

It is discussed if in a cell in the crypt, that there under the main altar, was prisoner Francisco de Quevedo, there reviews for all tastes.

In the 17th century was built the patio of the monastery with two floors of galleries, the superior closed as a balconies, as well as the staircase leading to the second floor.

The cloister. Has thirty-six balconies, in honor of the thirty-six reglares canons who came from Loyo (the masters were forty-four). The top of the cloister is closed and the bottom open.

The west facade was planned by Francisco de Mora, but was not performed by him. It is also of Herrerian style and in it is the front entrance of the church. Next is a piece of wall of the former Arab construction. This facade is flanked by two towers with high spires (similar to that left) that disappeared in the 19th century in the fires of 1845 and 1877 and that with the respective plans should recover at some point, keeping the original plan of the work.

Churrigueresque style

Main facade of the monastery.

The main facade or of the midday was built in 1735 by Pedro de Ribera, important Baroque master of the courtly focus. Highlighted in this facade both its composition, as an altarpiece facade, like its carved ornamentation.

On the cover appear arranged four pilasters, without architectonic subjection, that act as decorative elements.

At the top there are dolphins, lions, heads, warriors, trophies, fruits and two crosses of Saint James. As it ends, two busts of chained moors, half body of Saint James with the master cross in the left hand and a sword in his right where it reads Fidei defensio ("Defense of the faith").

At the bottom is the inscription Caput Ordinis ( "Head of the Order"), loose crosses, royal crown, knights with trophies and chained moors, exponent of the domain to be had on them and of the slavery to which they reduced them.

Ancient fortress

From the former fortress of the Order of Santiago are three towers whose names come mistaken in the majority of books of castles, but which are clearly defined in the guestbooks of the Order that are saved in the National Historical Archive. The three towers, in north-south direction, are the Tower del Pontido , connected by a footbridge to the Tower del Palomar then a pit excavated in rock, which expired by a drawbridge that connected with a wall leading to the Albarrana tower. From the ancient towers of the Old Tribute, of the Homenaje Viejo, del Homenaje, de la Plata and Blanca its exact locations are unknown, although it is known that these latter were demolished to continue the works of the present church.

Archaeological remains

In the present monastery there are several remains of the ancient fortress:

• A section of wall at the east end of the main facade. It corresponds to a tower that was above of the head of the old church, which was located where is the current hall.
• Other section of wall on the right side of the main entrance of the present church.
• The underground of the ancient monastery with arches in the second basement, and a pointed arch in the first.

References

Bibliography

• Ángel Horcajada Garrido. Uclés. Capital de un estado. Cuenca: el author; 1983.
• Dimas Pérez Ramírez. Uclés, cabeza de la Orden de Santiago. Tarancón: Seminario Menor; 1990.
• Pelayo Quintero Atauri. Uclés, antigua residencia de la Orden de Santiago. Madrid: Fortanet; 1904 (facsímil de 2007).
• Milagros Rivera Garretas (1995). The Encomienda, the Priory, and the village of Uclés in the Middle Ages (1174–1310) Formation of a dominion of the Order of Santiago. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. ISBN 84-00-05970-0. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monastery of Santiago, Uclés.

• Official website of the Monasterio de Ucles.

Coordinates: 39°58′49″N 2°51′48″W / 39.9804°N 2.8634°W / 39.9804; -2.8634