Cabañas chapel, La Almunia de Doña Godina

Cabañas chapel, La Almunia de Doña Godina

50100 La Almunia de Doña Godina, Zaragoza

CURRENT PROTECTION STATUS: Asset of Cultural Interest (ACI)

TYPE OF ASSET: Property

CATEGORY: Religious

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mudejar

CONSTRUCTION DATE: 12th, 13th, 14th century

This is an ancient Romanesque chapel built in the 12th century when Cabañas had a large population throughout the Middle Ages.

The original chapel must have had a rectangular nave plan with a semicircular apse, in addition to a porticoed atrium along the Epistle wall. In other words, it followed the basic lines of Romanesque chapels. A series of alterations were made during the 13th century, enclosing the atrium to create a new nave and changing the entrance to the nave by placing it in the new wall.

In relation to the series of murals in the right side aisle, diverse narrative scenes are depicted, including: the Passion, the life of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the life of Saint Ursula, etc.

The side wall also contains three arcosolia. They pertain to the Knight of Cabañas, the Cabañas native Lopez de Luna and Knight Albero, each with their heraldic coats of arms. Under the Mudejar alfarje (wood ceiling structure) at the west end of the nave, two arcosolia can be found, which are of great interest due to the quality of their paintings. These are the tombs of Horia Pérez and Guillelma Pérez.

The alfarje is located at the west end of the side aisle. It is a small wood ceiling structure boasting excellent quality paintwork. The structure consists of girders running crosswise with joists laid lengthwise over them. It projects outwards at the end, resting on corbels. The enclosure at the top of the alfarje is made of wood covered with four-part interlacing octagons and crisscrossing motifs.

Interventions

Restoration, 20th to 21st century

In the restoration from 1960, the ancient south portal, an essential part of the original church, was eliminated. A new space was also created on the Gospel side to render the layout more symmetrical, thus completely changing the outer appearance of the temple, especially the portal.

Projects and interventions

Projects and interventions, and the driving forces behind them, define the history of monumental buildings and how they are perceived.

Declarations

Declaration, 21st century

20th to 21st century. The Cabañas chapel has been a National Monument since October 27, 1978 and was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest on March 11, 2002.

Bibliography

ALLO MANERO Y MATEOS GIL. La Almunia de Doña Godina. Guía histórico-artística, Diputación General de Aragón, Zaragoza, 1987.

ABBAD RÍOS, Francisco. Catálogo Monumental de España: Zaragoza. Madrid: CSIC, 1957.

ANDREU LORENTE, Concepción; Potoc Pozo, María Carmen. Algunas curiosidades sobre la ermita de Cabañas. Ador. 2009 , nº 14, p. 31-41. Avanzan los trabajos para restaurar el alfarje de la ermita de Cabañas. Heraldo de Aragón. 29/04/2019 p. 44.

BENITO, Félix. Inventario de patrimonio arquitectónico de la provincia de Zaragoza. Inventario inédito, Gobierno de Aragón, 1988.

BORRÁS GUALIS, Gonzalo. Arte mudéjar aragonés. Zaragoza: CAZAR, 1985.

CABELLO SOLANAS, Santiago. Retratos de la memoria. La Almunia de Doña Godina: [s.n.], 1997.

El alfarje mudéjar de la ermita de Cabañas se consolidará en breve. Heraldo de Aragón. 18/08/2018 p. 15.

FACI, Roque Alberto. Aragón, reyno de Christo y dote de María Santíssima. Zaragoza: Diputación General de Aragón, 1979.

GARCÍA GUINEA, Miguel Ángel; Pérez González, José María. (dir.). Enciclopedia del Románico en Aragón: Zaragoza. Aguilar de Campoo: Fundación Santa María la Real, 2010. GUDIOL, José. Pintura medieval en Aragón. Zaragoza: Institución Fernando el Católico, 1971.

MAÑAS BALLESTÍN, Fabián. La ermita de la virgen de Cabañas. La Almunia de Doña godina: Asociación Cultural L’Albada, 2007.

MAÑAS BALLESTÍN, Fabián. La ermita de la Virgen de Cabañas. Ador. 2009 , nº 14, p. 13-29. MOYA CERDÁN, Fausto. Cabañas y La Almunia en sus inicios. Ador. 1996 , nº 3, p. 29-53.

POST, Chandler Rafhton. A history of spanish painting. Nueva York: Kraus Reprint Co., 1970.

RÍOS GRACIA, Luis de los; Estarán Molinero, José. Anecdotario de Cabañas. Ador. 2009 , nº 14, p. 275-283.

MAÑAS BALLESTÍN, F. Las pinturas de la ermita de Cabañas, Revista La Replazeta nº 6, Junio, 2000.

VV.AA. La Almunia de Doña Godina, Colección Territorio, Comarca del Valdejalón, Diputación General de Aragón, 2003, p. 251.