San Pedro de los Francos, Calatayud

San Pedro de los Francos, Calatayud

Plaza de España 1. 50300 Calatayud

CURRENT PROTECTION STATUS: ACI

TYPE OF ASSET: Property

CATEGORY: Religious

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mudejar

CONSTRUCTION DATE: First third of the 14th century

The Mudejar structure of San Pedro de los Francos dates from the 14th century, representing a type of church with three naves of nearly the same height, a crossing that is barely noticeable in plan view but somewhat more pronounced in elevation due to the small difference in height between the three naves and the three-part polygonal apse at the east end. Unlike most Mudejar single-nave churches in Aragon, the apses here have buttresses, which can be considered an archaic trait.

The central nave is almost twice as wide as the side aisles, and they are separated by clustered columns whose section results from attaching half columns to the center of each side of a square pier, plus smaller diameter shafts at the corners, in the manner of torus molding. The half columns at the center of each side of the square piers bear the loads of the supporting arches that separate the naves and of the transverse arches separating the bays, whereas the torus molding at the corners bears the weight of the diagonal ribs of the triple-beaded quadripartite rib vaults.

The three naves have three bays and the three apses are seven-sided polygons; the vaulting over the side apses has two bosses while the central apse has just one.

To the right of the west façade, attached to the south nave wall, the square-plan Mudejar tower stands, its structure consisting of a single tower on the exterior, wrapped around a solid square central buttress with a stairway built between the two and a system of brick vaults made of narrowing courses of bricks. In 1840 the original belfry on the tower was lost, coinciding with the visit of the queen regent to the city of Calatayud, who stayed at the palace of the baron of Warsage opposite the church.

On the south side of the church there was a square Mudejar cloister similar to that in the collegiate church of the Santo Sepulcro. The organ console features striking Mudejar carpentry work and has been preserved inside the church.

Interventions

Restoration, 20th to 21st century

In 2006 the restoration and renovation work of certain spaces was completed, jointly funded by the national and regional governments and the city council of Calatayud.

In January 2006, the work was completed and the church was opened to the public as a cultural center, after remaining closed for twenty years. In 2008, the last phase of the intervention took place, consisting in repairing damp patches infiltrated from adjacent buildings and completing the restoration of the furnishings (high altarpiece and foot of the organ).

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

The church of San Pedro de los Francos in Calatayud was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest under the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Decree dated June 3, 1931, which was published in the Gazette of June 4, 1931.

The Official Gazette of Aragon (BOA) dated April 22, 2002 published the Department of Culture and Tourism Order of April 2, 2002, whereby the original declaration of the church of San Pedro de los Francos in Calatayud (Zaragoza) is supplemented pursuant to Transitional Provision One of Aragonese Cultural Heritage Act 3/1999, of March 10.

Bibliography

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BORRÁS GUALIS, GONZALO M. Y LÓPEZ SAMPEDRO, GERMÁN. Guía monumental y artística de Calatayud, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Madrid, 1975. 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.

BUSTAMANTE MONTORO, Rosa; Sánchez de Rojas, María Isabel. Estudio de los enlucidos de yeso de la iglesia de San Pedro de los Francos de Calatayud. Materiales de Construcción [En línea]. 2007 , nº 286, p. 53-64.

CRIADO MAINAR, Jesús. La escultura romanista en la comarca de la Comunidad de Calatayud y su área de influencia [En línea]. Calatayud: Centro de Estudios Bilbilitanos, 2013.

GARRIS FERNÁNDEZ, Álex. La tutela del patrimonio aragonés [En línea]: La Comisión Provincial de Monumentos Históricos y Artísticos de Zaragoza (1835-1957). Zaragoza: Institución Fernando el Católico, 2017.

MÉNDEZ DE JUAN, José Félix et al. (coord.). Aragón. Patrimonio cultural restaurado. 1984/2009: Bienes inmuebles. Zaragoza: Gobierno de Aragón, 2010. Nueva inyección económica para la iglesia de San Pedro. Heraldo de Aragón. 19/08/2014 p. 12. Obras en las calles y mejoras en la iglesia de San Pedro. Heraldo de Aragón. 04/02/2012 p. 12.

SANMIGUEL MATEO, Agustín. Torres de ascendencia islámica en las comarcas de Calatayud y Daroca. Aragón (España). Calatayud: Centro de Estudios Bilbilitanos, 1998.

SANMIGUEL MATEO, Agustín. Inclinación y antigüedad de la torre de San Pedro de los Francos de Calatayud. En Calatayud y comarca: Actas. Centro de Estudios Bilbilitanos, 1997.p. 259-270. URZAY BARRIOS, José Ángel. (coord.). Calatayud. Historia, arte, arquitectura y urbanismo: Una guía para salvaguardar la ciudad. Calatayud: Centro de Estudios Bilbilitanos, 2019.

ZORRAQUÍN, Jorge. El retablo de San Pedro de los Francos luce de nuevo con la música como invitada. Heraldo de Aragón. 10/03/2018 p. 18.

ZORRAQUÍN, Jorge. Recta final de la restauración del retablo mayor de San Pedro de los Francos de Calatayud. Heraldo de Aragón. 09/12/2017 p. 18.