philosopher, educator and essayist Andalusian Francisco Giner de los Ríos (1839-1915) is among greater contributions to English culture of having founded and directed the independent teaching institution. Giner was one of the few English intellectuals who actively participated in educational renewal, cultural and social in Spain in the last third of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the next century. His effort led innovation to incorporate and adapt new teaching and scientific currents imported from abroad. Therefore, the study of his extensive work is seen as indispensable for understanding the history of contemporary English thought.
In his compilation "Archaeology Art in Spain" (Madrid, 1936) is given a select handful of articles previously published in various journals Hispanic. Thus, his visit to Bierzo he wrote an interesting church dedicated to Santiago de Peñalba Mozarabic. The text originally from "The Enlightenment Art", Barcelona, \u200b\u200b1884, no. 137.
"Santiago de Peñalva"
" The Vierzo or Bierzo-like because of its etymology rather should be written, is the small region of a hundred square miles, which is the first of the valleys of the Sil and circular saws Ancares, Oman and Cebrero, sections of the Cantabrian Mountains, the N. and west, the mountains of Leon, saw Jistredo, east, and mountains of Cabrera and Aguiar, the S. Humid fresh, but usually fall below freezing, perpetually green, and their situation, nor climate, nor race, nor customs, nor by any real condition, in short, belongs to the dry land of Castile, which is better defended than in Galicia.
Therefore, if it should not return to the organization that briefly had this beautiful region to the first third of the century, which constituted a separate province (by uniting without sufficient reason other border territories), and if the character and uses of El Bierzo is still some left Leon seems indisputable that in them, and even more the topography of the region, predominantly in a lot of similarity with Galicia, that error should be conceptualized administrative decree, by virtue of which is incorporated in the province of León, being odd pairing with the serious, dry, and somewhat brave inhabitant the no less serious and brave dry land fields.
In his compilation "Archaeology Art in Spain" (Madrid, 1936) is given a select handful of articles previously published in various journals Hispanic. Thus, his visit to Bierzo he wrote an interesting church dedicated to Santiago de Peñalba Mozarabic. The text originally from "The Enlightenment Art", Barcelona, \u200b\u200b1884, no. 137.
"Santiago de Peñalva"
" The Vierzo or Bierzo-like because of its etymology rather should be written, is the small region of a hundred square miles, which is the first of the valleys of the Sil and circular saws Ancares, Oman and Cebrero, sections of the Cantabrian Mountains, the N. and west, the mountains of Leon, saw Jistredo, east, and mountains of Cabrera and Aguiar, the S. Humid fresh, but usually fall below freezing, perpetually green, and their situation, nor climate, nor race, nor customs, nor by any real condition, in short, belongs to the dry land of Castile, which is better defended than in Galicia.
Therefore, if it should not return to the organization that briefly had this beautiful region to the first third of the century, which constituted a separate province (by uniting without sufficient reason other border territories), and if the character and uses of El Bierzo is still some left Leon seems indisputable that in them, and even more the topography of the region, predominantly in a lot of similarity with Galicia, that error should be conceptualized administrative decree, by virtue of which is incorporated in the province of León, being odd pairing with the serious, dry, and somewhat brave inhabitant the no less serious and brave dry land fields.
aside a thousand attractions that this lovely region offers visitors, for their wonderful scenery, the comfort of your climate and relative mildness of its inhabitants, as well as many interesting things that gives the curious, I will confine myself here briefly describe one of the most important archaeological monuments it contains. In
In this regard, it is true that the province of León has an extreme value. The influx of Arab-Cordoba Latin and Byzantine elements, is here exemplary such as San Miguel de Escalada and Peñalva, the Roman, now in its infancy, now in its gradual transition to the Gothic art in San Isidoro, Carracedo, Sahagún, San Pedro de las Dueñas, Sandoval, Gradefes, the splendor of the great French Gothic cathedral in Leon and Villafranca, San Marcos, Astorga and other centers, remarkable specimens of florid Gothic, Renaissance and plateresco.
In the first group, I have appointed Abbey Peñalva, Vierzo interesting monument as corresponding to an art whose traces are just beginning to be studied today, still many of them unknown; witness Lebeña church, one of our greatest archaeological gems, you can call real revelation in recent years (1).
Peñalva Santiago was built by Bishop Solomon about the middle of the tenth century and the pious attempt to preserve where the remains of St. Gennadius and San Urbano, who had done a century before penitential life not far of the place-in the cave called Silence. Above all, the situation of the temple is admirable. Well you get it from Bouzas, either from San Christopher, either from San Esteban, the landscape is first order, within the genus of the Bierzo region, smiling and very narrow valleys, mountains steep slope, hearty trees, and an abundance of waterfalls and streams without equal in other similar regions Asturias, Santander and Galicia, and the vegetation remains indescribable freshness.
As the temple is the already cited Lebeña, San Miguel de Escalada and perhaps (2) San Juan de Baños, one of these very important buildings in the classic memories combined with the influence of Moorish architecture of the Caliphate , led by monks from Córdoba. In the twelfth century, however, has undergone a restoration, but the Romanesque work seems to have altered the fundamental structure of the building, nor the main elements that give it its characteristic appearance. Other buildings and unimportant post attached to its walls, including within the tower, unsightly exterior, however, but by his own insignificance, have not been able to cause great harm. Outside
certainly call attention to the combination of four bodies of varying heights, similar to other churches of this time, the wonderful dogs, almost identical to some of San Miguel de Escalada, and even more so to those of Lebeña , and some small gargoyles it to be, as they seem, of the tenth century, present a difficult interest to ignore, as are rarely found at this time. The different heights of the two bodies wrapped finish the temple and the two apses of E. and O. reform depends on the latter has been to raise the cover of a carpenter, while the eastern side retains the simple exterior surface of the dome.
plant (3) is extremely important. The rectangle is oriented in the direction E.-W. and each side of which is registered under the apse, which are not charged for both the exterior, and a cruise to the far east, as usual, whose arms are somewhat larger than the space between those apses is free. Modern sheds that surround the building on its long sides hiding such arms, having almost the same flight as them.
plant the two apses is a horseshoe, its situation, one to E. and another to the west, as already said, very strange, its size, identical, and are covered by vaults agallonadas with edges, which, as in the form of the plant, recalls the apse of San Miguel de Escalada. E. The is undoubtedly the main, though now both have altars. This is shown well, not just its orientation, but the fact of having in front and cruising the species dome to speak later. The west apse contains the tombs of St. Gennadius simple and San Urbano, the first of which is covered with a slab longitudinally split into two areas by a ridge little steep.
Finally, the triumphal arches or income to the apses are also bridleways and rest on two free-standing columns topped by capitals Latino abacus double or even triple, that recall the Byzantines, eg, of Ravenna. Likewise, and media have all of this temple arches, varying in size only.
The transepts, as in Santa Cristina de Lena (although this is a Greek cross), in Valdedios, in Priesca in Santullano, etc., are formed by two cameras (now the vestry), covered by barrel vaults straight, whose axes are normal to the ship, to counter his thrusts, each of which communicates with it only through a small door lintel with its corresponding arc discharge structure is also common in the temples Asturian cited.
The ship is coming soon, 11 m. by 5, and is divided into two parts by two pillars (correlative to as many buttresses on the outside) with two attached free-standing columns on which stands a horseshoe arch, which in turn supports a wall, run up dome and perforated in turn, as is often the case, on the other horseshoe arches.
Of the two bays of the nave, the west is covered by a barrel vault straight, offset by two buttresses on the wall on each side. On the canvas of S. opens the door, formed by a double horseshoe arch, nestled within a similarly arch inscribed in a Arraba (as is also the apse of E.). On the outside, is the battery that looks like a cement, and within this same wall, an inscription of the second consecration of the church in 1105 and recently has been shattered this entry para colgar sobre ella una tribuna. Verdad es que cuando se considera en qué manos suelen hallarse estos monumentos, admira que quede algo de ellos en pie todavía.
En el muro del N., hubo una puerta, hoy tapiada, rectangular, con su arco de descarga y una inscripción de 1132, relativa al abad Esteban. Por fuera hay adosado a este mismo muro un sepulcro, que podría ser del XI.
El segundo tramo de la nave es cuadrado e importantísimo. Sube a gran altura y forma una especie de cúpula, cuya bóveda, agallonada como la de los ábsides, pasa de su planta a la cuadrada de la parte Inferior, en que descansa, no por medio de pechinas, Sino de ángulos, disimulando luego la arista cóncava que smooth transition is a feeling and a kind of archivolt. Only this dome Peñalva enough to give one of the first places in the history of our architecture, for which is a precious data.
Finally, the windows are small and rectangular, however, on the lintel of a superior is aware of the horseshoe shape but should also include perforated slab, now blind, is seen on the outer wall of the apse of the west.
not conclude without stating that in this church were still in late summer a beautiful and intact engraved silver processional cross, the fifteenth, and flamenco style, of the most beautiful I've seen (a batten which, incidentally, serves as a base, as is very frequently a capital Latin), and enameled copper shuttle, perhaps the beginning of XIII, and abused. Are they there yet? The provincial Commission of monuments already noticed.
As can be inferred from these very slight notes, Peñalva Abbey interested in a fundamental way for the history of our architecture, so unknown in reality, despite the wonderful constancy with which she intended to have been repeated platitudes and clichés that more severe excuse studies. Especially for the transformation of classical architecture in the Romanesque Peña is a factor as important, the Latin elements in it (v. gr.: The capitals), Byzantines, as the transept and the dome, Arabs, such as horseshoes and vaults agallonadas, are linked and lead to a set that every day becomes more valuable. The dogs and gargoyles are also interesting.
(1) Located on the banks of the Deva and almost in the magnificent way Unquera Potes (Santander), the importance of this temple has long been overlooked our archaeologists, in the summer of 1880, Professor of the Free Institution of Education, who passed through this site, conducting a tour of students from the Centre visited the temple and was surprised of its importance, calling upon her the attention of his companions, one of whom, Mr. Torres Campos, has been specifically this summer to study and prepare to make known the results of their investigations. (The published, in fact, in the interesting study: "The Church of Santa Maria in Lebeña" by R. Torres Campos, art by Juan B. Lazarus. Madrid, Fortanet, 1885.-N. Of Edits.)
(2) In the event that, according to some, the present church is not that of Recesvinto, but largely a reconstruction of X.
(3) Published with great inaccuracy Fr Flórez in "Sacred Spain."