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HERRADÓN DE PINARES AVILA, SPAIN CHURCH OF SAINT MARY THE GREATER |
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HISTORY |
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Church of Saint Mary the Greater This is a Gothic-Elizabethan church containing outstanding and worthy works of art, including: - The silver monstrance used for the Corpus Christi festivity. - The little incense silver crate, which is one of a kind due to its shape and beauty. The church was built within sturdy stone walls, containing three naves, a stone choir and a presbytery. It has two doors: one Northwards, and another Southwards. The main entrance, located Westwards, houses three vaulted niches whose sculptures are currently inside of the temple. The three ceilings are decorated with three Mozarabic cofferings, of which the golden central one is splendid. The high altarpiece, along with the coffered ceilings, is the main work of art of the church. Completed back in the XVI century by the Berruguete School, it is said to be a piece by Pedro de Salamanca. The altarpiece holds a two-tableaux predella, a tabernacle and five pinewood tableaux depicting moments of the Holy Virgin. The altarpiece was quilted on wood and stuccowork. On the stuccowork is gold, and on the gold is polychromy. The scenes of these altarpieces are: - The Annunciation, which disappeared during the Spanish Civil war, has been recently replaced. - The embrace at the golden door of the temple. - The stable at Bethlehem. - The Adoration of the Magi. - The central scene depicts the birth of the Holy Virgin. This altarpiece is crowned by a carving of the Annunciation and Crowning of the Holy Virgin. |
