8 best ROMANESQUE WORKS of art in Spain

The Romanesque art is considered the first pan-European art style, channeling its development and extension thanks to religious orders such as the Benedictines in Cluny and pilgrimage routes such as the Camino de Santiago. A path that stimulated the spread of Romanesque architecture, sculpture and painting in Spain.

In this lesson at unPROFESOR.com we offer you a selection of the best works of romanesque art in spain so you can discover the most brilliant examples of this style in the country.

One of the most iconic works of Romanesque art in Spain is the small romanesque hermitage of San Clemente de Tahull, in Lleida. A building that stands out for the slender tower that rises next to the apse. A five-story tower on a plinth that draws an extraordinary silhouette.

Inside, there are some magnificent mural paintings that represent Christ in Majesty. Some paintings that are located today in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, being replaced by a video mapping projection of the paintings in the central apse. It also has three Romanesque carvings.

Another of the Romanesque churches that stands out for its beauty is that of San Martin de Tours in Palencia. The church is located in the Santiago's road and that is characterized by its sobriety and being one of the prototype buildings of the Romanesque.

It is characterized by its plant Latin cross with transept and dome, standing out on its southern side a portico and the belfry that finishes off the temple. Its exterior stands out for its corbel decoration with human figures, animal figures and flowers.

Another of the masterpieces of Romanesque art in Spain is the cloister of the Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery. A building in which its exterior austerity contrasts with the spectacularity of the gallery of columns in its interior patio. The capitals are exquisitely decorated, their decoration inspired by biblical themes.

We are facing one of the oldest cathedral in Castilla y León. It is a 20th century building in which its lobed or gallonated dome stands out, in addition to the Bishop's Portal. In it, some beautiful sculptures stand out in which the apostles of Saint Paul and Saint John are represented, reflecting in it the movement of the characters. The scene is embodied in the tympanum on the door.

This church on the Camino de Santiago in Navarra also deserves a place on this list of Romanesque works of art. a church of octagonal plan surrounded by a porticoed gallery that forms an exterior cloister, with only two churches having that floor plan. An issue under study that has led specialists to relate this church to the Templar buildings.

The Platerias Facade is one of the most spectacular Romanesque works of the world. One of the few Romanesque facades that are preserved, as well as one of the most beautiful. The north façade was the entrance for the pilgrims, while the Platerías was the door through which the people of Compostela entered.

His name responds to goldsmith workshops that were located in that square during the Middle Ages. The work dates from the end of the XI-beginning of the XII century. The portal was damaged during the uprisings against Archbishop Gelmírez, in the middle of the 12th century. It was rebuilt and more Romanesque figures were added from the Puerta del Paraíso.

In the frieze are the figures of angels, apostles and signs of the zodiac, occupying the center a Christ flanked by Santiago Apóstol. In the portals scenes of the Passion or the temptation of Christ are represented.

In the portals, the tympanum on the left seems represent the temptation of Christ; the one on the right, clearly recognizable scenes from the Passion: the trial of Pilate, the scourging and the betrayal of Judas. Other figures such as King David and the creation of Adam decorate the side walls.

If we stop to study the most outstanding works of Romanesque sculpture in the country, the most outstanding are:

• The portico of the Cathedral of Jaca
• The gates of forgiveness and the Cover of the Lamb of San Isidoro de León.
• The Cloister of the Monastery of Silos with biblical scenes such as the doubt of Saint Thomas.