Church of San Miguel, Belmonte de Gracián

Church of San Miguel, Belmonte de Gracián

Plaza de Baltasar Gracián, s/n. 50332 Belmonte de Gracián (Zaragoza)

CURRENT PROTECTION STATUS: Asset of Cultural Interest (ACI)

TYPE OF ASSET: Property

CATEGORY: Religious

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mudejar

CONSTRUCTION DATE:
Original construction, 16th century. Constructed mainly in the 16th century in the late Gothic style adjacent to a Mudejar tower. Only the apse remains from this period.

Expansion, 16th century. In the 16th century, the previous 14th-century church was expanded, of which only the apse remains. The new phase can be seen above all in the switch from the use of brick to stone.

The church of San Miguel in Belmonte de Gracián was constructed in two phases. The original construction from the 14th century was a Mudejar church, of which only the tower and apse (in addition to the Gothic addition) remain standing today.

The lower part of the church is considered a Mudejar construction whereas the upper part is late Gothic. The difference between the two architectural styles can be seen above all in the materials used, given that the entire temple is made of stone except for the apse and tower, erected in brick.

The apse is polygonal in shape and lacks buttresses, with decorative motifs based on diamond shapes and angled brick. Most Mudejar apses were designed without buttresses so as not to interrupt the strips of decoration.

The construction materials are mainly brick and gypsum (or plaster). Its ornamentation is clearly Mudejar: panels of protruding brick detail work combined with diamond and crisscrossing shapes separated by angled brick friezes.

Projects and interventions

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

Declarations

21st century (2001) The Official Gazette of Aragon (BOA) from October 26, 2001 published Decree 232/2001, of October 2, by the Government of Aragon, declaring the apse and tower of the church of San Miguel in Belmonte de Gracián (Zaragoza) an Asset of Cultural Interest, Monument category.

Current condition

Of the original Mudejar construction of this parish church, the only part remaining is the free-standing tower erected in the early 14th century and the apse, dating from the early 18th century. The tower is located on the south side of the church. The rest of the building was replaced in the 17th century using ashlars and masonry in the classical Baroque style.

Bibliography

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CRIADO MAINAR, JESÚS. La escultura romanista en la comarca de la Comunidad de Calatayud, Institución Fernando el Católico, Zaragoza, 2013.

GALIAY, JOSÉ. Arte mudéjar aragonés, Institución Fernándo el Católico, Zaragoza, 2002.

MILLÁN GIL, JULIÁN Y SANMIGUEL MATEO, AGUSTÍN (COORD.). Comarca de la Comunidad de Calatayud, Colección Territorio nº 20, Departamento de Presidencia y Relaciones Institucionales del Gobierno de Aragón, Zaragoza, 2005.

NAVAL MAS, ANTONIO. Arte de Aragón emigrado en coleccionismo USA, Huesca: [s.n.], 2015. SANMIGUEL MATEO, A. Torres de ascendencia islámica en las comarcas de Calatayud y Daroca, Centro de estudios bilbilitanos, Institución Fernando el Católico, Calatayud, 1998.

VV.AA. Comunidad de Calatayud y El Monasterio de Piedra, Colección RutasCai por Aragón nº 12, Zaragoza, 2004.

VV.AA. Tierra Mudéjar. El Mudéjar Aragonés, Patrimonio Mundial, Heraldo de Aragón, D.L. 2002.