Nomadic northern Italian masons and craftsmen from Lombardy were probably responsible for building the austere early Romanesque Iglesia de San Caprasio pilgrimage church around 1020 to 1030 AD in the Pyrenean village of Santa Cruz de la Serós in Huesca, Aragon, Spain.
Santa Cruz de la Serós, Huesca, Aragon, Spain: the austere unaltered Romanesque architecture of the Iglesia de San Caprasio, built around 1020 to 1030 AD, shows a distinct northern Italian influence, suggesting that it was probably built by Lombardi, itinerant master masons, craftsmen and artists from Lombardy whose work can be found in other ancient Pyrenean churches. This small semicircular apse at the eastern end of the church is a typical example of the Lombard-Romanesque style, with its thick stone walls pierced by round-arched slit windows between the engaged stone columns of a blind arcade. The church was built during the reign of Sancho the Great, the powerful King Sancho Garcés III of Pamplona, and is dedicated to Saint Caprasius of Agen, a 4th century AD Gaulish martyr venerated by the Christian pilgrims who travelled the Camino de Santiago, the Way of Saint James route to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The route lies some 3 km or 2 miles from Santa Cruz de la Serós. The church consists of a single nave with two cross vaults, with the eastern apse surmounted by a barrel vault. The building has not undergone any substantial modifications since it was built in the early 11th century, apart from the 12th century addition of a bell tower. Inside, its rough ashlar stone walls are unadorned, the lack of decoration adding to the impression of ancient austerity and simplicity. In 1089, the church was given by the Diocese of Jaca to the nearby royal monastery of San Juan de la Peña, one of the most important medieval monasteries in the Kingdom of Aragon and a superb example of Iberian Romanesque architecture and art.
Size: 2832px × 4256px
Location: Santa Cruz de la Serós, Huesca, Aragon, Spain
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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