Templo de Santo Domingo, Alcaniz, now the Museum of History. [Photo courtesy of the website "Aragon and its counties", the Government of Aragon]
In 1179 Alcaniz (Teruel) became headquarters of the Order Calatrava, managing their possessions from the castle-palace hill Pui Pinos, which preserves a Romanesque-Gothic chapel, which is a unique set of medieval wall painting, civil-themed. The settlement of this Order may be made with the intention to counter the burgeoning power of the Temple in neighboring districts, the Lower Ebro in the east, and Mastership in the south. The Calatrava, will also have the situation Alcañiz as a step in the Via Augusta at Compostela, that this gave the village of high importance, commercial and spiritual.
Mediterranean Pilgrims, landed in Amposta and Tortosa, entered the bridge Alcañiz Guadalope. The more tired, staying at the Alberguería located on the left bank, near the medieval church of Santa Lucia, while others sought accommodation within the city, as annexed to Temple Hospital Santiago.
In 1383, the Infante Don Juan gave the site of the bridge to the Dominican Order, who enlarged the temple and hospital, built next to a convent by Pope Clement VII license in 1391. In 1582 it built the temple we see today, changing its name to Santo Domingo, in a style that mixes Gothic with Renaissance elements remnants.
The "Holy Temple of Tyre" in all its decadent glory. [Slide, 4 May 1996]
loss of interest in pilgrimage to Santiago, wars, confiscations, and other calamities, brought the abandonment to the convent, first, and then to the temple. The building passed from hand to hand, used for different services vile: block, jail, store, barracks ...
When we visited the place in May 1996, the temple was abandoned and boarded up for fear of collapse. However, aroused our interest in an original detail, the pair that surreal, which made us think we could be before the "Temple of the Holy Tyre" . And, the tower blocks had been used as an advertising medium, including painting over the announcement of a known tire brand and a popular local garage. Desvahido what color, indicating that the "decorative painting" was already old at that time.
say "God's ways are inscrutable" , and either because he hears the prayers of St. Dominic, or for reasons that escape us, the fact is that in 2005, after centuries of neglect, the temple was renovated to serve as host of "Atrivm." A History Museum, conceived as multimedia space which offer a broad view of historical and cultural legacy of Alcaniz and Aragon.
But the story does not end "eating partridges" ... "Atrivm", which earned the region and the municipality invested € 685,000, and was the flagship product of some politicized propaganda, is in crisis. During the past 2010, the daily visits were suspended and the museum is only open on weekends, it is alleged that the shortage of visitors and low input prices cause losses. Is the future black temple will be in "decorating" back walls with fences advertising to provide funds for maintenance?
A "horror" that should be preserved as an example not to follow? [Slide, May 4, 1996]
Who appropriate. Having seen, a question haunts us. "Since the temple is unaffected, and is no longer sacred, it was correct, removing the tower that advertising? Would not it be more correct, let that shows the tortuous historical process the building?
Maybe, just maybe, it would have been a good claim for the Museum of History, while a warning to "sailors" and warning to "responsible" for the estate. A shameful reminder, leaders, scholars and ordinary people about what JOINING should never and should never be repeated again.
Therefore, without a precedent, we will send stocks pillory and who authorized the destruction of this pictorial example negative, but example-the endless human stupidity. And, because it seems that we are more extreme than is desirable, we will give weekend leave so they can visit "Atrivm" in its new time of crisis ...
Health and fraternity.
