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The Convent of St. Francis (
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
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...
: ''Convento de San Francisco''), in Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, was founded in the 13th century and located outside the city walls, in front of the market square (which would become the future '' Plaza Mayor''). The convent
A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community.
The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
was protected and sponsored in that century by Doña Violante, wife of King Alfonso X of Castile ('Alfonso the Wise'). Its existence had a great impact on the social and religious life of Valladolid, extending its life until 1836, when it was demolished and its huge plot of land was divided up and put up for sale. From that date, it became part of the lost patrimony of Valladolid.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
died in Valladolid in May 1506 and was buried in the church of this Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
convent, although it is still not known in which house or hospital exactly he died. During the commemoration of the 5th centenary of his death, the City Council of Valladolid placed a plaque in his memory on the site of the Convent of St. Francis.In 1513, Ferdinand the Catholic
Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...
ordered his remains to be transferred to the '' Cartuja de Santa María de las Cuevas'', outside the walls of Seville. Emperor Charles I issued a Royal Decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...
in Valladolid on 2 June 1537 to Doña María de Toledo to bury Columbus in the main chapel of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
. The island was ceded to the French in 1796, so the remains were transferred to the cathedral of Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Holy Church Cathedral Basilica of Seville.
The
The convent perimeter came to comprise a large space that extended along the entire front facing the market square (future ''Plaza Mayor'' and future ''Acera de San Francisco''), turned the corner on Olleros Street and along this street to the south reached Verdugo Street, named Montero Calvo Street after the confiscation; it continued along this street until it reached '' Santiago Street'' and from there went up north until it reached the ''Acera de San Francisco'' again. In all this huge site were the monastic buildings, church, several cloisters, hostelry, orchard, corrals and gardens. There were also private houses sold or given by the Franciscans themselves, the hospital of Juan Hurtado and some council quarters next to the main door leading to the market. These quarters were used while the old City Hall building was being built.
It was surrounded by a fence that protected it, as was common in all convents and monasteries, in which only two doors opened: one was the access from the Plaza Mayor, the main door. It led to a large corral and immediately after it was the church that occupied the space that would later become Constitución Street. The other entrance was on Santiago Street, at the height of the '' Iglesia de Santiago'' itself. It was called Puerta de las Carretas and in 1599 a doorway with arch, cornice and frontispiece with a niche where a sculpture of St. Francis made of
In 1740 the General Chapter of the Order was held in the convent. There was a great procession on June 5, the day of 
The life of the convent and its relationship with the city went smoothly until the
Little by little and between the last years of the nineteenth century and the first years of the twentieth century, special buildings and private homes were erected. In 1853, the Casino Cultural Society acquired a piece of land on the corner of Constitución and Olleros streets,This street was only three years away from changing its name to '' Duque de la Victoria Street'' where they erected a building that had to be rebuilt in 1901. In the last years of the 19th century, Antonio Ortiz Vega ordered the construction of a palace of great proportions, with a large garden, whose perimeter extended from Duque de la Victoria Street (formerly Olleros) to the new Menéndez y Pelayo Street (formerly Mendizábal); in 1900, this palace became the headquarters of the '' Banco Castellano''.
In 1884 the Zorrilla Theater was built, giving its façade to the ''Acera de San Francisco''. In order not to break the harmony of the arcades of the Plaza Mayor, the main entrance to the theater was made on Constitución Street. In 1928 the Telefónica building was erected with a façade on Duque de la Victoria. In 1934, on the corner of Constitución and Santiago, the La Unión and Fénix buildings were built.
On Constitución Street, in front of the Zorrilla Theater building, the Hotel Europa (now disappeared) was built. When this hotel was demolished in the 1970s to begin work on the ''
File:Valladolid veracruz lou.jpg, Vera Cruz church façade
File:Valladolid iglesia lapasion1 lou.jpg, Passion church façade
There is graphic evidence of the exterior façade facing the Plaza Mayor in a drawing by
There was a second altarpiece with paintings, which was installed around 1622 and lasted a few years because by 1674 it had already been dismantled and sold for the price of 5000 reales to the parish of
Some of the most illustrious families of Valladolid were buried in this chapel, so it was known at one time as the chapel of the Lineages: the Mudarra, Ondergardo, Zárate, Venero and Leyva families. The burial bundles of this family (Leyva) were made by followers of the sculptor
In 1590 Juan de Sevilla and his wife Ana de la Vega inherited the chapel. At that time the chapel was under the titular San Bernardino. In the 17th century it belonged to Francisco de Cárdenas, who commissioned the altarpiece dedicated to the Pietà, changing the dedication at the same time.
According to Sobremonte, in this chapel there was a ''blank'' wooden altarpiece with small figures and with the theme of the Passion and death of Christ. This altarpiece has been identified with the one preserved in the '' National Museum of Sculpture'', a Flemish triptych of unpainted walnut. The scholar
In the choir there was an altar called the altar of the Most Holy Christ of the Chapter; two organs, one larger than the other; a
The English translation of which reads as follows
*
It was designed by the sculptor
From 1609 onwards, the convent became the seat for the spiritual life of the Third Order (V.O.T.), composed of a congregation of people of both sexes and varied social status. In the convent all the social and religious acts of this community were carried out. Until 1620, this brotherhood used to meet for its activities in various chapels of the convent, until the friars sold them some land near the nave of Santa Juana and a large room that had served as a guest house for the laity. In this area the chapel and other rooms were built around 1622 (the work of the master masons and carpenters Domingo del Rey and Antonio de Morales is known, being the project or design of the architect Francisco de Praves). The expansion work continued in 1626 when they obtained, in exchange for alms, a little more space next to the chapel, where they would build the sacristy. In 1654 there was a new enlargement under the direction and project of the architect Juan de RépideIn the A.H.P.V. (leg. 1562, fol 1233), the deeds and the drawing of the church plan, the work of Juan de Répide, are preserved. From this contract we can know exactly the dimensions of the new floor plan and its distribution. and the church was rebuilt with the inscription:
After the enlargement, it ended up being a real church, 25.20 m long and 7.84 m wide in the nave, plus 9.80 m wide in the main chapel. The sacristy was located on the Gospel side. The body of the church was divided into 3 sections and the roof was vaulted and made of brick. The floor was also of brick. The walls were whitewashed. In 1675 the painter Antonio de Noboa Osorio covered them with paintings, and also took care of the gilding and decoration in many other parts of the church (vaults, lunettes, arches, windows, etc.). A few years earlier 
History of the convent
The Franciscans
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
arrived in the city of Valladolid in the first third of the 13th century, although there are many discussions about the exact date. The founding document is lost and the different historians and researchers have been shuffling dates in accordance with other events and with the trips that St. Francis himself made to Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
to found convents. The architect and academician of Fine Arts Juan Agapito y Revilla mentions the date of 1210 as the arrival of the Franciscans to Valladolid taking as references the opinions of the historians of this city Matías Sangrador y Vítores Matías is the Spanish version of Matthias. In Scandinavian languages (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Finnish) and in Portuguese it is unaccented as Matias.
Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Matías Alemanno, Argentine rugby play ...
, Juan Ortega Rubio, Casimiro G. García-Valladolid and Juan Antolínez de Burgos
Juan Antolínez de Burgos (1561–1644) was a Spanish historian and writer. He wrote ''Historia de Valladolid''.
Juan Antolínez de Burgos was born in 1561, the year of the Great Fire of Valladolid. Little is known about his personal life. He may ...
(the oldest historian) who says in his ''Historia de Valladolid'':
The historian Manuel Canesi also mentions this friar; he says that he was born in Assisi
Assisi (, also ; ; from ; Central Italian: ''Ascesi'') is a town and comune of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio.
It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Prope ...
and that he was first a disciple and then a companion of St. Francis.
In the first years of the 20th century, a manuscript —which had been considered lost— called '' Manuscrito de fray Matías de Sobremonte'', written in 1660, with the abbreviated title of ''Historia inédita del convento de San Francisco de Valladolid'', became known. It was discovered by the scholar Antonio de Nicolás, who dedicated a whole chapter to it in the ''Boletín de la Sociedad Castellana de Excursiones'', volume I; the scholars and disseminators of the text were Agapito y Revilla and José Martí y Monsó
José Martí y Monsó (4 January 1840, Valencia - 14 December 1912, Valladolid) was a Spanish painter, art professor, researcher and museum official. He was considered an expert on Castile (historical region), Castilian art and the history of H ...
; the original was kept in the library of the '' Palacio de Santa Cruz''. The author of this manuscript is the Franciscan father Matías de Sobremonte. This friar was a scholar of the history of the convents of his order, including this one in Valladolid. Sobremonte speaks of the traditional date of 1210 as the foundation of the Valladolid convent, but at the same time he doubts it by making other considerations. Researchers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have assured a later date, around 1230, being in complete agreement on what were the beginnings and on its later transfer in the 1260s.
Start-up and relocation
QueenBerengaria of Castile
Berengaria (Castilian language, Castilian: ''Berenguela''), nicknamed the Great (Castilian: la Grande) (1179 or 1180 – 8 November 1246), was Queen of CastileThe full title was ''Regina Castelle et Toleti'' (Queen of Castile and Toledo). for ...
, wife of King Alfonso IX
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...
of León, ceded to the Franciscan Fathers the lands of an estate located in the area known as ''Río de Olmos''.It was known as ''Río de Olmos'' an area between the Pisuerga River
The Pisuerga is a river in northern Spain, the Duero's second largest tributary. It rises in the Cantabrian Mountains in the province of Palencia, autonomous region of Castile and León.
Its traditional source is called Fuente Cobre, but it has ...
(at the height of the Arturo Eyríes bridge) and the '' Paseo de Zorrilla'', near the slaughterhouse until reaching the Camino Viejo de Simancas to the '' bridge of Hispanoamerica'' or ''Hispanidad''. On these lands there were many properties with houses, orchards and fruit trees, which were called riberas because they were on the banks of the river. Some of these properties were donated by their owners to found convents, such as this one of the Franciscans, another of the Carmelite friars
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...
and a first house of St. Teresa of Ávila. It is possible that this happened around 1230, but the date is controversial. This place was quite far from the city and was considered quite unhealthy to live in, and since it was far from the town, alms were scarce. The Franciscans
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
always tried to build their convents in the city itself, or at least in the nearby outskirts, since their condition of preachers and mendicants required a continuous contact with the citizens. Some years later, another queen, Violante, wife of Alfonso X the Wise, offered them a plot of land and some houses near the first wall, for their possible relocation. For this purpose, she issued a letter of donation on March 6, 1267, signed in Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
, in which she declared that she was ceding land and houses to the new queen.
The large site was located outside the walls but next to the large area that was then used as a market. Over the centuries all this space would remain in the center of the city of Valladolid. At the beginning, the friars had many difficulties with the move, as they were opposed by the abbot,In the 13th century Valladolid was not a cathedral diocese but had a collegiate church headed by an abbot. This collegiate church had its own collegiate chapter. the infante Sancho and the Cathedral chapter
According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...
, but the support of Queen Violant was definitive for the new location of the Franciscans. A century later, another queen, María de Molina
María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
, would also protect this convent, making a donation of some palace-houses that she kept adjacent to the Franciscan facilities and that overlooked Olleros Street, which would form part of the extension.
Extension of the convent enclosure
The convent perimeter came to comprise a large space that extended along the entire front facing the market square (future ''Plaza Mayor'' and future ''Acera de San Francisco''), turned the corner on Olleros Street and along this street to the south reached Verdugo Street, named Montero Calvo Street after the confiscation; it continued along this street until it reached '' Santiago Street'' and from there went up north until it reached the ''Acera de San Francisco'' again. In all this huge site were the monastic buildings, church, several cloisters, hostelry, orchard, corrals and gardens. There were also private houses sold or given by the Franciscans themselves, the hospital of Juan Hurtado and some council quarters next to the main door leading to the market. These quarters were used while the old City Hall building was being built.
It was surrounded by a fence that protected it, as was common in all convents and monasteries, in which only two doors opened: one was the access from the Plaza Mayor, the main door. It led to a large corral and immediately after it was the church that occupied the space that would later become Constitución Street. The other entrance was on Santiago Street, at the height of the '' Iglesia de Santiago'' itself. It was called Puerta de las Carretas and in 1599 a doorway with arch, cornice and frontispiece with a niche where a sculpture of St. Francis made of alabaster
Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
and stone was placed.García Chico, E. ''Arquitectos''. After passing through the door, the church was reached through a narrow alley.
Life of the convent until its demolition
The Franciscans of this convent had a great spiritual influence on the social life of Valladolid. It was also a great cultural contribution and its history was very rich in religious events. Its total disappearance in 1836 was a great loss for the city, although at the same time, the recovery of the extensive site brought with it an important urban transformation in a Valladolid that was growing in that area and that needed the creation of buildings and access roads. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Franciscan monks had reached a rather relaxed form of enclosure.All the monastic orders, after a time, reach the relaxation. It is then that reforms and observance arise, trying to adjust again to the primitive rules of the founder. In 1416 there was a reformist movement that grouped together several convents that chose the one in Valladolid as the head of the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception. By then this convent had a large community. To the point that Father Sobremonte says in his history: Important events related to religious life in general or to the civil life of the city took place in the convent: * In 1570 fray Juan Perez de Pineda (1513?-1593?) (who had problems with theInquisition
The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...
), decided to change from the ''Province of Santiago'', to the ''Province of the Conception'' in the convent of Valladolid, where he was well received and resided for quite some time. Juan de Pineda, erudite preacher, was one of the best writers of his time in Castilian language.
* Juan de Zumárraga
Juan de Zumárraga, OFM (1468 – June 3, 1548) was a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate and the first Bishop of Mexico. He was also the region's first inquisitor. He wrote ''Doctrina breve'', the first book published in the Western Hemisphe ...
, first bishop of New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
, appointed by Charles V Charles V may refer to:
Kings and Emperors
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
Others
* Charles V, Duke ...
in 1528, had to return to Spain to be consecrated, a ceremony that took place on April 27, 1533, in this convent.
* In 1695 the consecration of the president of the ''Chancillería'' of Valladolid, Francisco Juániz de Muruzábal y Ocáriz, appointed archbishop of Cartagena, was celebrated. The large procession entered the church through the chapel of Copacabana, making a distinction between men and women; the women entered through the portico of the cloister in the nave of Santa Juana. The entire community came out to welcome the illustrious retinue. After the religious ceremony, the event ended with the celebration of festivities with fireworks, drinks and sweets.
* In 1740 the General Chapter of the Order was held in the convent. There was a great procession on June 5, the day of Pentecost
Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Day, Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spiri ...
, in which they paraded a great number of saints (behind each one there was a religious with a cope
A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour.
A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...
), closing the procession the image of the Immaculate Conception that was usually located in the choir of the church. This event was much celebrated in the city and was extensively narrated by C. González García Valladolid in his ''Recuerdos y grandezas'' (Memories and Greatness). Ventura Pérez
Ventura (Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish for "fortune") may refer to:
Places
; Brazil
* Boa Ventura de São Roque, a municipality in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil
* Boa Ventura, Pa ...
also mentions it in his ''Diario de Valladolid'' in the section entitled ''Capítulo general de San Francisco en esta ciudad''.
* In the years 1746 and 1747 great festivities were celebrated on the occasion of the canonization of St. Peter de Regalado, patron saint of Valladolid. On June 20, 1747, the image of this saint was transferred from the chapel of Copacabana to the cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
. Ventura Pérez gives an extensive account of more than seven pages in his book of memoirs.
The life of the convent and its relationship with the city went smoothly until the Spanish War of Independence
The Peninsular War (1808–1814) was fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French ...
when all these religious houses were suppressed. On August 18, 1809, they obtained a special authorization to keep the church open (the same happened with other convents). In September of that same year an inventory of the sumptuary works was made. Ortega Rubio notes that in February 1811 the main doors, the façade and the patio of the church were demolished and work began on the construction of houses. In February 1814, after the war with Napoleon, the Franciscans returned to their convent, which they found quite reduced (part of it had already been sold to private individuals), until in 1835 (as a consequence of the confiscation
Confiscation (from the Latin ''confiscatio'' "to consign to the ''fiscus'', i.e. transfer to the treasury") is a legal form of search and seizure, seizure by a government or other public authority. The word is also used, popularly, of Tampering w ...
) the orchard was also put up for public auction, which in addition to vegetables had 80 fruit trees and elm trees, plus a noria
A noria (, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from , ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered '' scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct, either for the purpose of irrigation or to supply water to cities and village ...
in good condition. The Official Bulletin of Valladolid announced on August 6, 1836, the sale of the ...
There is no record of anyone taking up the offer, so the board for the sale of buildings and effects of the disentailed convents in the province of Valladolid had to take charge and proposed the demolition at the expense of the State. The demolition began on February 1, 1837, and once all the buildings had been demolished, the plots were put up for sale. The buyers were obliged to cede to the City Hall 16,710 square feet to open a street (which would be the Constitution Street) from the entrance of Santiago Street to Olleros Street (Duque de la Victoria). Many of the tiles from the convent were used to pave the decrepit old City Hall and to build the clock tower. Almost a year later, the demolition work was still going on. Some important works of art could be rescued by the State and saved in the National Museum of Sculpture, but most of them disappeared —as no records were taken— without a trace.
19th to 21st century monastic grounds
Finally, in 1847, the industrialist Pedro Ochotorena bought all the land from the City Council, committing himself to open the required street between the door of the convent facing Santiago Street and Olleros Street. This street would be called Constitución. He then opened another street perpendicular to Constitución that would lead to Verdugo —which in those years had changed its name to Caldereros Street—. This new street was baptized with the name of Mendizábal, in memory of and in homage to the minister who had been the promoter of the Disentailment. Years later the street was renamed Menéndez Pelayo.
Little by little and between the last years of the nineteenth century and the first years of the twentieth century, special buildings and private homes were erected. In 1853, the Casino Cultural Society acquired a piece of land on the corner of Constitución and Olleros streets,This street was only three years away from changing its name to '' Duque de la Victoria Street'' where they erected a building that had to be rebuilt in 1901. In the last years of the 19th century, Antonio Ortiz Vega ordered the construction of a palace of great proportions, with a large garden, whose perimeter extended from Duque de la Victoria Street (formerly Olleros) to the new Menéndez y Pelayo Street (formerly Mendizábal); in 1900, this palace became the headquarters of the '' Banco Castellano''.
In 1884 the Zorrilla Theater was built, giving its façade to the ''Acera de San Francisco''. In order not to break the harmony of the arcades of the Plaza Mayor, the main entrance to the theater was made on Constitución Street. In 1928 the Telefónica building was erected with a façade on Duque de la Victoria. In 1934, on the corner of Constitución and Santiago, the La Unión and Fénix buildings were built.
On Constitución Street, in front of the Zorrilla Theater building, the Hotel Europa (now disappeared) was built. When this hotel was demolished in the 1970s to begin work on the ''Galerías Preciados
Galerías Preciados, S.A. was a Spanish chain of department stores founded in 1943 by José "Pepín" Fernández Rodríguez. Named after Calle de Preciados, the street on which it stood, Galerías Preciados was, along with El Corte Inglés, one of ...
'' department store, several burial sitesTombs had also been found in 1853, when the earth was removed to lay the foundations of the Recreation Circle. and the remains of columns and foundations of the convent were discovered.
Fires
The great fire that took place in Valladolid on September 21, 1561, also affected the convent, especially the façade. After this disaster, the great restoration and remodeling works began in the city, and the definitive Plaza Mayor was built. For the ''Acera de San Francisco'', Philip II issued a Royal Decree on December 23, 1564. In point 2, it states the following: On June 1, 1699, at 12:30 p.m., there was another minor fire that started in the neighboring houses of the nave of Santa Juana.Guilds
The convent was closely linked to two brotherhoods: that of the Vera Cruz and that of thePassion
Passion, the Passion or the Passions may refer to:
Emotion
* Passion (emotion), a very strong feeling about a person or thing
* Passions (philosophy), emotional states as used in philosophical discussions
* Stoic passions, various forms of emotio ...
. The '' Cofradía de la Vera Cruz'' was born within the convent and even after having its own headquarters at the end of the 16th century, the Franciscans continued to take care of it, and relations were always good between the two. The '' Cofradía de la Pasión'' was in charge of searching the roads for the mortal remains of the executed and dismembered (for blood crimes) and then accompanying them, on Lazarus
Lazarus may refer to:
People
*Lazarus (name), a surname and a given name
* Lazarus of Bethany, a Biblical figure described as being raised from the dead by Jesus
* Lazarus, a Biblical figure from the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus
* Lazar ...
Sunday (fifth Sunday of Lent
Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...
), to the Convent of St. Francis where they had a place for their burial, a special chapel that served as an ossuary. It was called the '' Capilla de los Ajusticiados''.
In the chapel of St. Anthony of Padua (described below) the confraternity-tailors of the Brotherhood of the Mancebos Sastres had their patronage from the 17th century
The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCI), to December 31, 1700 (MDCC).
It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized ...
onwards. The ''La capilla de los condes de Cabra'' had as its patron the ''Cofradía de Nuestra Señora de la pura y limpia Concepción''.Architecture and works of art
Facade to the Plaza Mayor
There is graphic evidence of the exterior façade facing the Plaza Mayor in a drawing by Ventura Pérez
Ventura (Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish for "fortune") may refer to:
Places
; Brazil
* Boa Ventura de São Roque, a municipality in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil
* Boa Ventura, Pa ...
made in the 18th century, as well as in a canvas from 1506 and another from 1656. Sobremonte tells that already between 1455 and 1456, being archbishop of Toledo Alfonso Carrillo de Acuña
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century ( Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. ...
, the facade was reformed, raising then a second floor with a balcony where an altar could be installed, so that the merchants could hear mass without leaving their work. After the fire of 1561 and the Royal Order of Philip II, the facade was restored with its balcony for the mass and was taken out at the level of the other facades of houses that were to the right and left.Since ancient times the friars had sold or rented the area next to the wall that ran along the entire length of the Plaza Mayor, so that their owners could use it for stores. Little by little, these owners built one or two floors of housing on top of it, much to the displeasure of the friars, since they exceeded the height of the fence and from there one could see the interior of the convent, if windows were opened on the south side. In 1727 the image of St. Francis was placed on the pediment, this being the cause of dispute and confrontation between the friars and the City Council, who protested loudly because ''the convent had modified the facade without permission from the city''.
The church
There are no drawings, paintings or lithographs of the church building. However, through the documents kept in the Provincial Historical Archives of Valladolid, in the Municipal and Treasury archives and through the description of historians and travelersThe travelerAntonio Ponz
Antonio Ponz Piquer (1725 – 4 December 1792) was a Spanish painter.
He was born at Bejís in the province of Castellón. He was a pupil of Antonio Richarte at Valencia, Spain, Valencia, then in 1746 moved to Madrid, where he studied for five ...
, the historian Matías Sangrador y Vitores (''Historia de Valladolid II'', 1854), Alcalde Prieto and R. Gallardo (''Manual Histórico y Descriptivo de Valladolid''), José María Quadrado
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...
(''Recuerdos y bellezas de España, Valladolid''), (1885) wrote about the convent and the church. who came to know it, a broad description of the church can be made, both of its floor plan and of the interior, its chapels and its works of art. The inventory of the works of art contained in the church during the years of the French occupation in 1809, at the time of the first exclaustration, is very valuable. 8 bronze or gilded metal lamps, 16 confessionals and 22 altars were counted, among many other items.
The main door of the church had been at the foot, to the west, but was later changed to the north side, between the chapels of Santa Catalina and San Antonio de los Cañedos. This door was preceded by a vaulted ashlar portico. The church was Gothic in style and had a single nave measuring 39.20 m long by 12.60 m wide. Originally only the main chapel was vaulted, while the body of the church was covered with wood, until reforms were made in the 16th century and it was modified with seven ribbed vaults. The temple had 10 chapels in addition to the main chapel. All the chapels were founded and sponsored by the most influential families of the city, who also took these spaces as burial places. Royal personages were also buried under the vaults of this convent.
Main chapel
Originally the convent was a royal foundation (patronage of three consecutive queens, Berenguela, Violante andMaría de Molina
María Alfonso Téllez de Meneses (c. 1265 – 1321), known as María de Molina, was queen consort of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León from 1284 to 1295 by marriage to Sancho IV of Castile, and served as regent for her min ...
), so the main chapel was also a royal foundation. Over the centuries, this protection would belong to other characters, either of the nobility, or wealthy merchants who could afford the financial support.
From the beginning of the 16th century, the family of Gómez Manrique de Mendoza wanted to gain access to the patronage of this chapel, although they were strongly opposed by the friars. Even so, in 1613 it is known that Carlos Manrique de Mendoza, Count of Castro, buried in this chapel the remains of his parents that he had ordered to be brought from Castrogeriz in Burgos. However, either they did not obtain the patronage as they would have wished or they shared it with the merchant Alonso de Portillo who in 1543 hired the plasterers and masons Gaspar de Mendoza and Diego de Segovia for this purpose:
The main chapel was entered through a pointed arch and was separated from the rest of the church by a grille. Within this area was located the chapel of the Rivera family (on the Gospel side), the Old and New sacristies and the chapel of San Bernardino, called resacristy by Father Sobremonte. The main chapel contained several works of art and very valuable canvases, inventoried in 1809. Besides the main altarpiece it had two other lateral ones.
Altarpieces
The main chapel had three consecutive main altarpieces and two collateral ones from the 16th century that were also replaced by others a century later. The first main altarpiece was acquired and sponsored in 1578 by the will of Gómez Manrique, son of the Counts of Castro.Martí y Monsó
Martí is a Catalan name and may refer to:
People Surname
*Antoni Martí (1963–2023), Andorran architect and politician
*Cristóbal Martí (1903–1986), Spanish footballer
* David Martí (born 1971), Spanish Oscar winner for best makeup
*Dolor ...
made an exhaustive study on this subject, providing documentation of appraisers and buyers.
There was a second altarpiece with paintings, which was installed around 1622 and lasted a few years because by 1674 it had already been dismantled and sold for the price of 5000 reales to the parish of Laguna de Duero
Laguna de Duero is a municipality located in the Valladolid (province), province of Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2016 census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain), INE), the municipality has a population of 22 ,696 ...
(Valladolid) where it was adjusted by the assembler Blas Martínez de Obregón. It consists of a bench, two sections, three streets and an attic. In the first are the effigies of St. Anthony of Padua and St. Bernardino of Siena. In the second is San Buenaventura and a bishop. These four canvases are by Diego Valentín Díaz
Diego Valentín Díaz (died 1660) was a Spanish historical painter and a familiar of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Holy Office. He was a native of Valladolid. Díaz painted many important pictures for churches and monasteries, e ...
. The two in the center represent the Assumption of Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows:
It leaves open the question of w ...
and the Coronation
A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
, works of Diego Díez Ferreras. In the attic there is a canvas of the Eternal Father and Jesus Christ.
The third altarpiece was paid for by the Mendoza family
The Mendoza family was a powerful line of Spanish nobility, Spanish nobles. Members of the family wielded considerable power, especially from the History of Spain, 14th to the 17th centuries in Castile. The family originated from the village of ...
in 1674. In the Provincial Archive there is news that in 1674 the gilder Miguel Jeronimo de Mondragon undertook to execute the gilding of this altarpiece and to have it finished within the stipulated period. This altarpiece was seen by the historian Canesi. It was one of the works highlighted in the inventory of 1809.
Grilles
The main chapel had two consecutive grilles that served to separate the presbytery from the rest of the church. Of the first one there is hardly any news, only that it was a poor and lackluster work, so the friars ordered a second one that they brought from Biscay without finishing it. The finishing work was given to the rejero Rodríguez de San Pedro, of whom there is confusing information. Canesi and Martí y Monsó believe that Fray Pedro Villate (a lay rejero who worked on various works in the convent) helped in the completion of this grille.
1809 Inventory
On the north wall were three paintings with gilded frames, representing St. Joseph, St. Dominic and St. Francis. On the front wall there were three others, one of them well described by the traveler Ponz in his ''Viage a España: Nuestra Señora de pie con San Francisco de rodillas ante ella'', by the painterMateo Cerezo
Mateo Cerezo, sometimes referred to as The Younger (19 April 1637, Burgos – 29 June 1666, Madrid) was a Spanish Baroque painter; known primarily for religious works and still-lifes.
Life and works
His father was the painter, Mateo Cerezo Muñ ...
. It is in the Lázaro Galdiano museum
The Lázaro Galdiano Museum () is an art museum in Madrid, Spain. It houses the art collection of José Lázaro Galdiano. The museum was inaugurated on 27 January 1951.
History
The palatial building was constructed in 1903 as the residence of ...
in Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
.
Chapel of the Rivera family
Also known as the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception. Its founder was Andrés de Rivera (lord of the town of Fuentes de Valdepero and corregidor (mayor) of the city ofBurgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populous municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of th ...
who in his will of 1518 left well explained how the chapel should be and the place of his own burial. This chapel was to be built on the site of a corral that was next to the head of the convent church:
and it would be placed under the patronage of ''Nuestra Señora de los Remedios''. Andrés de Rivera gave all kinds of details, including how the altarpiece should look like. A century later the chapel was in pretty bad shape and the friars had to ask the founder's descendants for alms for its upkeep.
By the date of 1628 the chapel had an altarpiece with the image of the Immaculate Conception, by the sculptor Francisco de Rincón. During the following years the chapel remained neglected until 1675 when it was totally transformed, changing its title and dedication and being renamed the chapel of ''Our Lady of Copacabana''.
Chapel of Our Lady of Copacabana
It occupied the same space as the chapel of the Rivera family, changing its name and dedication. Between the years 1676 and 1679, widening and repair works were carried out, resulting in an important enclosure. In 1679 the works were finished and the blessing ceremony of the image of the Virgin of Copacabana was carried out and she was enthroned in her chapel. The chapel was sponsored by Fray Hernando de la Rua, a monk of the convent who had held the post of General Commissioner of the Provinces of New Spain. Fray Hernando brought from America the image of Copacabana, which was much loved and venerated. The master mason Juan Mazo carried out the works of the chapel, withstone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
brought from the Valladolid town of Campaspero, under the direction of the master builder Antonio de Bustamante. The chapel turned out to be quite a large space, almost like a small church with a main chapel, transept, main altar and two side altars plus two more in the nave, sacristy and choir with a small organ. The exterior was topped with a spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...
.
Altarpiece
The historian Canesi refers to and describes the altarpiece assembled by the master Blas Martínez de Obregón. It had a pedestal with pilasters and Solomonic columns in the two bodies. In the first body was placed the Virgin of Copacabana. Below the camarín was a tile painting with the coat of arms of Ana Mónica Pimentel y Córdoba, VI Countess of Alcaudete, who had been the first camarera of the Virgin.Doors
The main door leading to the main chapel was rebuilt and four smaller ones were opened leading to the body of the church and the sacristy. It was the work of the aforementioned assembler Obregón.1809 Inventory
Five altars were counted with their trousseau, a chest with seven vestments of the Virgin, a chest with three Franciscan habits, a book with silver conteras of St. Peter de Regalado, several paintings on the walls. In the room next to the chapel, for the use of the sacristan, there was a cupboard, sheets with gilded frames, a canopy with tissue lining, seven straw chairs, a bed with three mattresses, a table, two small trunks, an ark.Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua
It was located on the north wall of the church (Epistle side
In the liturgical traditions of Western Christianity, the Epistle side is the term used to designate the side of a church on which the Epistle is read during a church service. It is the right-hand side of the chancel as viewed by the congregation ...
). It was founded in the 15th century by Luis Morales, treasurer of King John II of Castile
John II of Castile (; 6 March 1405 – 20 July 1454) was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454. He succeeded his older sister, Maria of Castile, Queen of Aragon, as Prince of Asturias in 1405.
Regency
John was the son of King Henry ...
with the dedication of Santa Ana. Later it passed to the patronage of the Ulloa family until in the 17th century when another member of that family sold the entire chapel to the Brotherhood of the Mancebos Sastres and since then it has been called the chapel of San Antonio de Padua, who is the patron saint and titular of this brotherhood. The Brotherhood commissioned in 1650 an altarpiece to the assembler José de Castilla. The contract states that the master was to be paid 5900 reales. In the center was the statue of St. Anthony that had been brought from Florence by the Genoese banker Jácome Espínola, who lived in Valladolid, to donate it to the Confraternity. Sobremonte writes about this image describing it as ''very good'' and says that it was known as San Antonio el Rico to distinguish it from the chapel known as St. Anthony the Poor.
Chapel of St. Francis
It was previously called the chapel of St. Mancio and was founded by the major crossbowman Ruy Pérez de Agraz, later passing the patronage to the '' Hospital de Esgueva''.Chapels of St. Catherine and St. Charles Borromeo
Both chapels were located next to that of St. Francis, on the north wall of the church. Carlos de Venero y Leyva (chaplain of King Philip III and canon of the Cathedral of Toledo) obtained the patronage of these two chapels whose deeds for this concession date from 1602 and 1603 and are preserved in the Provincial Historical Archive of Valladolid. The one called the chapel of Santa Catalina must have been of great proportions and, according to Sobremonte: In the same documents of the Archive, there is news about the masses and memorials for the soul of the sponsor and his relatives, and about the works to be carried out in the chapel for its improvement and ornamentation, all in charge of Carlos de Venero, who spent 26,829 reales in the works, plus liturgical trousseau (corporals, altar cloths, purificators, amitos, tisu fronts, chasubles, etc.) for a value of 535 ducats. To which must be added an altarpiece of St. Catherine, mentioned by Sobremonte at a cost of 600 ducats. The chapel of St. Charles Borromeo had no direct exit to the church and was like an appendix to the previous one, purchased and rebuilt by the same sponsor in 1624.Sepulchers and other works
Some of the most illustrious families of Valladolid were buried in this chapel, so it was known at one time as the chapel of the Lineages: the Mudarra, Ondergardo, Zárate, Venero and Leyva families. The burial bundles of this family (Leyva) were made by followers of the sculptor Pompeo Leoni
Pompei Leoni was an Italian sculptor and medalist who was born in Milan in the early 1530s and died in Madrid in October 1608.
Biography
Pompeo learned the art of sculpture and medal making in the house of his father, Leone Leoni, in Milan, c ...
and were catalogued in 1861 and transferred to the cathedral.
where you can see, along with the altarpiece and an image of St. Catherine made by Francisco de Rincón and other smaller images.
Chapel of St. Anthony the Poor
This chapel was located at the foot of the church, below the choir and its space included the area of two previous chapels called the Chapels of the Trinity and St. Anthony. It was remodeled and decorated in 1617. It also had the title of chapel of the Cañedos whose burials were in two plaster tombs under Gothic arches.Chapel of St. Anne
It is known that after 1659 it was owned by three consecutive families. First it was bought by Casilda de Espinosa, who was married to the secretary of theHoly Office of the Inquisition
The Roman Inquisition, formally , was a system of partisan tribunals developed by the Holy See of the Catholic Church, during the second half of the 16th century, responsible for prosecuting individuals accused of a wide array of crimes according ...
, Diego Montero de Carrera. Then it passed into the hands of Juan de Para, accountant of S. M. to finally inherit it Sebastián Montero de Espinosa and Juana Durango de Quirós, lords of the town of Castroserna (Segovia). The chapel had two grilles, one facing the nave of the church and the other facing the ''nave de Santa Juana''.
Chapel of St. Diego
This chapel, like all those described below, was on the south wall facing the cloister to which it had access. Its protector was Diego de Escudero. It had an image of the patron saint ofDidacus of Alcalá
Didacus of Alcalá (), also known as Diego de San Nicolás, was a Spanish Franciscan lay brother who served among the first group of missionaries to the newly conquered Canary Islands. He died at Alcalá de Henares on 12 November 1463 and is ho ...
, the work of Gregorio Fernández
Gregorio Fernández (April 1576 – 22 January 1636) was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Pompeyo Leoni, and Juan de Ar ...
.
Chapel of the Incarnation
There were two different chapels with the same dedication, although this one was previously called the chapel of Santiago. In the 17th century it was under the patronage of Clemente Formento, perpetual Alderman of Valladolid, who acquired it in 1622, undertaking restoration work and changing the owner. His coat of arms could be seen adorning the chapel. The description of this chapel is found in several documents so it has been possible to make a good exposition of all its components and the masters who intervened.García Chico in ''Arquitectura'' made the drawings of the entrance arch; AHPV leg. 1609, 1659, 1660. The authors of the new traces were Francisco de Praves and Rodrigo de la Cantera. The access arch was built in stonework. The master masons were Pedro de Vega and Domingo del Rey. The altar was placed on the east wall while on the back wall there was a door leading to the cloister.Grille
The chapel was enclosed by a grille made by Matías Ruiz from a wooden model that had been given to him. It had 32 balusters and sat on a stone podium; the cornice was made of wood.Altarpiece
It was of a single body plus attic, with a large canvas of the Annunciation, supposedly the work of Diego Valentín Díaz. The altarpiece was gilded by the master Tomás de Prado, who also gilded the grille, according to documents in the Archives.Chapel of Our Lady of Solitude
The first patronage of this chapel was by Pablo de la Vega whose portrait was hanging on one of the walls with a caption that read:
In 1590 Juan de Sevilla and his wife Ana de la Vega inherited the chapel. At that time the chapel was under the titular San Bernardino. In the 17th century it belonged to Francisco de Cárdenas, who commissioned the altarpiece dedicated to the Pietà, changing the dedication at the same time.
Altarpiece
The altarpiece and the sculptural group of the Pietà are the work ofGregorio Fernández
Gregorio Fernández (April 1576 – 22 January 1636) was a Spanish Baroque sculptor. He belongs to the Castilian school of sculpture, following the style of other great artists like Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni, Pompeyo Leoni, and Juan de Ar ...
and were moved after the disentailment to the church of San Martín de Valladolid, to the chapel whose patronage belonged to the Fresno de Galdo family of Valladolid.It consists of a bench with paintings of St. John the Baptist, St. Francis, St. Bernardino and the Magdalena. The main box is occupied by the high relief of the Pietà (known as the ''Fifth Anguish''), work of Gregorio Fernandez. In the attic is the Imposición de la casulla a San Ildefonso, by the painter Diego Valentín Díaz.
Chapel of the Holy Christ
It was located on the south wall of the church facing the cloister. In 1576 it was named after St. Andrew. The friars sold it to their family doctor (clergyman) Juan Rodríguez de Santamaría for a funeral chapel for him and his family. Juan Rodríguez restored and decorated it.Inventory
According to Sobremonte, in this chapel there was a ''blank'' wooden altarpiece with small figures and with the theme of the Passion and death of Christ. This altarpiece has been identified with the one preserved in the '' National Museum of Sculpture'', a Flemish triptych of unpainted walnut. The scholar Rafael de Floranes
Rafael de Floranes or de Floranes Vélez de Robles y Encinas (1743, Camaleño – 1801, Valladolid, Spain) was a Spanish historian, jurist
A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This perso ...
alludes to a large Christ placed in the "''retablo del Crucifijo''" (altarpiece of the Crucifix) that gave its name at some point to this chapel. Its whereabouts are unknown.
Chapel of the Incarnation
Second with this name, it was located below the choir and was previously dedicated to San Pablo. In the 16th century, the patron saint was Antonio de Frómista and his wife Juana de la Vega.Choir
Until the 16th century thechoir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
of the church was located in the presbytery, until the convent decided to remove it to build a new one on the top and at the foot of the temple. This choir loft had a choir stalls with two floors of seats that totaled 84, so that in some periods of the convent's life not all the monks could be seated, when they reached the number of 100. This old choir was executed by two Franciscan carvers, friars of this house and was replaced in 1735 by a new rococo
Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
style choir stalls whose carving work is due to Pedro de Sierra. It was placed and assembled by his brother Fray Jacinto de Sierra, with the help of other assemblers, as Ventura Pérez (who was also an assembler) reports in his ''Diario de Valladolid'':
Some news from historians about the choir
According to Canesi, the floor was made of brick and tiles and was paid for by the Gran Capitán, who had been a guest of the convent. In 1567, María de Mendoza, then widow of the secretary and banker ofCharles V Charles V may refer to:
Kings and Emperors
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
Others
* Charles V, Duke ...
, Francisco de los Cobos
Francisco de los Cobos y Molina (c. 1477 – 10 May 1547) was the secretary of State and '' Comendador'' for the kingdom of Castile under the rule of the King Charles I of Spain, who was elected as Holy Roman Emperor in and reigned as Charles ...
, donated alms so that the friars could repair the vaults that had collapsed.
Sobremonte, in the 17th century, mentions another work that had to be done, securing the choir with two pilasters. This news is supported by the will of the master mason Pedro de Vega, in which he said that the convent "owed him ''money'' for the work done on the supporting pillars of the choir".
García Chico, in his work ''Documentos.... Pintores II'' (Valladolid 1956), says that in 1612 Diego Valentín Díaz painted a canvas to be placed between the two doors of the choir.
In 1740, according to Ventura Pérez, the image of the Immaculate Conception, the work of Pedro de Sierra, was still presiding over the choir.
1809 Inventory
In the choir there was an altar called the altar of the Most Holy Christ of the Chapter; two organs, one larger than the other; a lectern
A lectern is a standing reading desk with a slanted top, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon. A lectern is usually attached to a stand or affixed to some other form of ...
adorned with the Ecce Homo
''Ecce homo'' (, , ; "behold the man") are the Latin words used by Pontius Pilate in the Vulgate translation of the Gospel of John, when he presents a scourged Jesus, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his crucif ...
; an urn where St. Francis de la Parrilla was venerated. The Inmaculada and some panels of the 1735 choir stalls are kept in the Sculpture Museum. A large part of the seats were mounted in the choir loft of the chapel of the ''Colegio de San Gregorio
The Colegio de San Gregorio is an Isabelline style building located in the city of Valladolid, in Castile and León, Spain, it was formerly a college and now is housing the National Museum of Sculpture. This building is one of the best examples ...
'' (seat of the National Museum of Sculpture).
Royal burials
* The infantePeter of Castile
Peter (; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called Peter the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for h ...
, son of Alfonso X
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germany on 1 Ap ...
the Wise and his wife, Violant of Aragon
Violant or Violante of Aragon, also known as Yolanda of Aragon (8 June 1236 – 1301), was Queen consort of Castile and León from 1252 to 1284 as the wife of King Alfonso X of Castile.
Life
Violant was born in Zaragoza, the daughter of Kin ...
, who had died in the town of Ledesma on October 20, 1283. According to Antolínez de Burgos, the remains of the infante Pedro were in a niche placed on the Epistle side of the main chapel of the monastery church. However, Ambrosio de Morales
Ambrosio de Morales ( Cordoba, Spain, 1513 – ''ib.'', September, 1591) was a historian. After his studies at the University of Salamanca and Alcalá, he took Holy orders
In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordinati ...
affirmed that the tomb was in the so-called Chapel of the Lions, in a sepulcher placed high up, and on top of which were the recumbent statues of the infant Pedro and his wife.
* Henry of Castile "the Senator", son of Ferdinand III the Saint and brother of Alfonso X the Wise
Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, ; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germany on 1 Ap ...
, who died in August 1303 in the town of Roa, Burgos, from where his body was brought. In the 16th century, the chronicler Ambrosio de Morales
Ambrosio de Morales ( Cordoba, Spain, 1513 – ''ib.'', September, 1591) was a historian. After his studies at the University of Salamanca and Alcalá, he took Holy orders
In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordinati ...
recorded that the exact place where the remains of the infante Enrique rested was unknown, although the writer Antolínez de Burgos stated that the remains of the infante were in a niche located in the main chapel of the monastery church, on the Gospel side.
Burials of other characters
* Pedro Álvarez, lord of Noreña, father ofRodrigo Álvarez de las Asturias
Rodrigo Álvarez de Asturias (died 1334) was a Spanish nobleman and lord of Noreña, Gijón, and County of Trastámara. He was the son of another Rodrigo Alvarez de Asturias and grandson of Pedro Álvarez de Asturias. He married Juana Fernandez ...
, on whose tomb one could read some leonine verses that have been handed down in a manuscript history of the convent:
The English translation of which reads as follows
* Álvaro de Luna
Álvaro de Luna y Fernández de Jarava (between 1388 and 13902 June 1453), was a Castilian statesman, favourite of John II of Castile. He served as Constable of Castile and as Grand Master of the Order of Santiago. He earned great influence in ...
, beheaded in the Plaza Mayor of Valladolid and buried in this convent, according to his wishes. Later, his remains were transferred to the Toledo Cathedral
The Primatial Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Toledo, Spain. It is the seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toledo. Since 1088, it holds the honorific title of Primatial, granted by ...
(chapel of Santiago), along with the remains of his wife and members of his family.
* Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
, whose remains were also moved (and on more than one occasion).
* María de Mendoza, VII Countess of Rivadavia.
* Red Hugh O'Donnell
Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...
(''Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill''), Lord of Tyrconnell
Tyrconnell (), also spelled Tirconnell and Tirconaill, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland. It is associated geographically with present-day County Donegal, which was officially named ''County Tirconaill'' between 1922 and 1927. At times it also i ...
(a Gaelic
Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to:
Languages
* Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
kingdom in Ireland). This Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
chieftain died during a trip to Valladolid, being buried temporarily in the Castle of Simancas in 1602 and later transferred to the convent.
* Fray Alonso de Burgos
Alonso is a Spanish name of Germanic origin that is a Castilian variant of ''Adalfuns''. The original Visigothic name ''Alfonso'' suffered the phonetic change of the phoneme /f/ into the mute /h/ in the Early Middle Ages (around 9th Century), w ...
(bishop of Palencia and promoter of the Colegio de San Gregorio
The Colegio de San Gregorio is an Isabelline style building located in the city of Valladolid, in Castile and León, Spain, it was formerly a college and now is housing the National Museum of Sculpture. This building is one of the best examples ...
).
* Juan Hurtado de Mendoza (14th century), one of the tutors of King Henry III.
Nave of Santa Juana (or San Diego)
It was built at the foot of the church, as long as the width of the church and perpendicular to the nave. It was like a real church, with a main altar and eight chapels distributed to the right and left. The chapels on theEpistle side
In the liturgical traditions of Western Christianity, the Epistle side is the term used to designate the side of a church on which the Epistle is read during a church service. It is the right-hand side of the chancel as viewed by the congregation ...
were: San Diego; San Miguel; Santa Ana and Santo Cristo. The chapels on the Epistle side were: San Cosme and San Damián; Nuestra Señora la Blanca; San Juan Bautista and Nuestra Señora. It was entered from the cloister and served as a passageway to access the main entrance, which in turn overlooked the Plaza Mayor.
Chapel of the Executed or Chapel of the Holy Passion
It was located next to the nave of Santa Juana in the first patio as one entered through the main door. It was built in 1598, located, according to Sobremonte's comments: It had an altar with a Christ accompanied by the Virgin and John the Evangelist, where there was always a lighted candle. On the floor there were large burial slabs for the executed, except for those who had their throats slit, who were buried in the cloister. On the walls of the chapel ran an inscription that gave news of the patronage held by the ''Royal Penitential Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Passion and Saint John the Baptist beheaded'' and the indulgences granted by the bishop of Valladolid Juan Vigil de Quiñones for those who prayed in the chapel imploring for the souls of the deceased buried there. This is how it functioned for two centuries until the early years of the eighteenth century, when the building was remodeled at the request of Antonio Fernández, who, along with other pious people, gave alms for the work. The new construction was carried out by the master builder Joseph Gómez who left as alms the 12 reales that corresponded to him for doing the project.Ventura Pérez
Ventura (Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish for "fortune") may refer to:
Places
; Brazil
* Boa Ventura de São Roque, a municipality in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil
* Boa Ventura, Pa ...
in his ''Diario de Valladolid'' gives the news in 1752 of the construction of a new chapel next to the old one, for the burial of nobles and those killed by garrote, plus a space between the two chapels for the executed who are not quartered and their remains scattered along the roads, as was the custom for blood crimes.
Sacristy and ''resacristy''
It was a rectangular enclosure, measuring 16.80 m by 7.28 m, built around 1574, which extended along Olleros Street with which it bordered and where three windows opened; on the opposite side the enclosure was attached to the main chapel and the chapel called the Chapel of ''the Lions''. It was covered with a ribbed vault with terceletes and was well reinforced with buttresses. Next to it was the chapel-lavatory, also with a ribbed vault, and a little further on, behind the chancel of the church, was the chapel of San Bernardino, which served as a ''resacristy''.1809 Inventory
The list of the movable and sumptuary goods of this estancia is quite extensive. Among many other objects, the following are described: * Walnut drawers and table. * Five full-length mirrors with decorated frames. * Nine canvases with the images of San Buenaventura, San Pedro Regalado, Descendimiento, Purísima, ''Paso de los Azotes'', San Joaquín, Inocencio XI, Clemente XIV, Cardenal Cánsate, and it is said that "all with their gilded frames". Nine or more other somewhat smaller paintings on different subjects and portraits. * Holy Christ in ivory, catalogued in the National Museum of Sculpture (Valladolid) by Agapito y Revilla. * Reliquary. * A gilded chest, with crystals. * A showcase with a clock and various silver pieces plus liturgical ornaments (10 chalices, a silver lamp, a tabernacle lined with silver, carpets, etc.).Major cloister
It is known that the monastery had other cloisters or courtyards in addition to the main cloister itself, but their location and the use to which they were put is not very well known. The main cloister was located next to the south wall of the church. It was built at the end of the 15th century, rebuilt byDiego de Praves
Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''.
The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below.
...
in 1595. In the 17th century it was adorned with a tile plinth and its floor was covered with geometric designs. It had canvases hanging from the walls about the life of St. Francis, the work of Felipe Gil de Mena
Felipe Gil de Mena (1603 Antigüedad, Palencia, Spain – 1673), was a Spanish baroque painter.
Gil mena-refectorio.jpg, Saint Francisco and Saint Domingo in the refectory by Felipe Gil de Mena (second half of the 17th century)
Biography
...
. This painter worked a lot in this cloister not only with the realization of the large canvases but also painting the lunettes of the vaults. Another painter was Fray Diego de Frutos, a layman of the convent who in the 18th century painted the life of St. Pedro Regalado.This work is preserved in the collections of the Sculpture Museum, as well as some of Gil de Mena's paintings. In 1641, the painter Blas de Cervera took over the painting of the lower cloister with stories from the life of St. Francis.
Chapel of Santa Cruz
Also called the chapel of the Santisteban, one of the most notable families of Valladolid.l Historians place this chapel next to that of the Counts of Cabra. The old books of the convent say that it served as a primitive church for the community when the other one had not yet been built.Chapel of the Porziuncola
According to Sobremonte, it was located on the second side of the cloister. It belonged to the Vitoria family who held the patronage in the figure of the treasurer Luis de Vitoria who invested a lot of money in fixing it up, putting a grille, an altarpiece from 1622 and decorations, including their coats of arms on the walls. The chapel had two good railings, one separating it from the church and the other from the cloister. On his death, his daughter Antonia de Vitoria inherited the chapel.Chapel of the Counts of Cabra
It had different names through the years: * Chapel of St. Anthony * Chapel of the Conception * Chapel of Las Maravillas * Chapel of the Counts of Cabra * Chapel of the Conception (and at the same time of the Reliquary and the Communion rail). It was located in the area around the cloister and, according to the historian Canesi, ''in the dark passageway on the right hand side of the main chapel''.Patronage
It is known that at the beginning of the 16th century, Luis de la Cerda (Lord of Villora) and his wife Francisca de Castañeda were the patrons of the chapel. Their granddaughter Francisca de la Cerda Zúñiga y Castañeda married the III Count of Cabra, named Diego Fernández de Córdoba; the couple obtained again the patronage and since then gave name to the chapel. In 1617 the patronage reverted to the convent. It was in this year when the famous Inmaculada de Gregorio Fernández was placed in this chapel, first of the series of Inmaculadas made by this sculptor, sought by historians and researchers and that is in unknown whereabouts. In the 18th century the friars ceded the patronage to Lope de Quevedo, to whom they apparently owed many favors.The Confraternity of the Conception
The ''Confraternity of Our Lady of the Pure and Clean Conception'' had its headquarters in the convent, where they held their religious festivities, chapters and meetings. In 1617 the community ceded to this confraternity the chapel of the Counts of Cabra, once again called de la Concepción, so that from then on they could hold all their events there. For the occasion, the friars provided an image of the Immaculate Conception that they had previously commissioned from the sculptor Gregorio Fernandez, who was a member of the confraternity. The community also offered a silver lamp. The friars, however, were very insistent in the contract that they would always retain ownership of this sculpture and other objects they mention: The deed of the contract also stated that the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of the Dead were to be celebrated in the chapel. The friars also granted another location for the meetings and meetings, a room that was next to the main balcony overlooking the square. For all this, the confraternity committed itself to pay an annual alms of 200 reales and committed itself to bury all the religious of the convent. Later there was a new agreement by which the confraternity said that it was satisfied for its meetings with "... the room where theology is read ..where up to now the chapter meetings have been held and are held .., and in exchange they declined the obligation to bury the friars.The image of the Immaculate Conception
It is known that in November 1617 Gregorio Fernández had already finished this image, the first of the series that he would later make throughout his life from future commissions. In 1618 the Brotherhood of the Conception commissioned an altarpiece to place it and the convent commissioned its gilding to the famous and highly praised painter Tomás de Prado, dated June 16, 1619. In 1622 the community commissioned a new altarpiece for its main chapel and moved the Inmaculada by Gregorio Fernández to the central box. In its place, in the chapel of the Counts of Cabra, they installed another Inmaculada, the work of Francisco de Rincón. In the 1809 inventory, this image by Gregorio Fernández is described: As already mentioned, this image is unaccounted for and is one of the great speculative topics among Spanish art historians.Chapel of the Bishop of Mondoñedo
It is also called the Chapel of the Sepulchre because it houses this sculptural work by Juan de Juni. There are many authors who give data on this chapel and there are several documents on contracts for masonry and carpentry work and artists' contracts.Father Sobremonte, the traveler and writer Isidoro Bosarte, the historians Ponz and Matías Sangrador relate many details, to which we must add the research of Martí and Monsó (1992), p=354) and the studies carried out at the end of the 20th century by J. J. Martín González, J. Urrea and M. A. Fernández del Hoyo, the main researcher. The chapel was built at the request of Fray Antonio de Guevara (Franciscan, died in 1545), bishop ofMondoñedo
Mondoñedo () is a small town and municipality in the Galician province of Lugo, Spain. , the town has a population of 4,508. Mondoñedo occupies a sheltered valley among the northern outliers of the Cantabrian Mountains. Despite being the core ...
, writer and chronicler of Charles V Charles V may refer to:
Kings and Emperors
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
Others
* Charles V, Duke ...
, as a burial chapel. The place of construction was "in the dark passage between the cloister and the sacristy", in the area where the chapel of the Count of Cabra was. A small cloister was also built preceding it. Fray Antonio de Guevara also financed the construction of two other cloisters. In one of the contracts it can be read about the carpenter Pedro de Salamanca who is required to:
It was designed by the sculptor Juan de Juni
Juan de Juni (Fr. Jean de Joigny; c. 1507–1577) was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect.
Career
Juan de Juni was born in Joigny, France, but began working in Italy, where he was first employed. In 1533 ...
, with a square floor plan and with a headwall in which there would be an altarpiece with the great work of this sculptor, ''The Burial of Christ'', today in the National Museum of Sculpture. The altarpiece and the entire chapel were adorned with plasterwork
Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster Molding (decorative), decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called parge ...
by Jerónimo del Corral.
In 1686 the chapel must have been somewhat aged because the gilder Manuel Martínez de Estrada was required to clean it and restore the gilding and paintings, repairing and consolidating the deterioration and detachments. In this restoration contract, all the elements are extensively detailed and it is thus known that the chapel was adorned with cartouches, fleurons, masks, shells, garlands, angels, seraphs, saints and other sculptures, both half and full-length.
1809 Inventory
He cites mainly the work of the ''Burial of Christ'', by Juan de Juni, and an apostolate located on the walls.Chapel of the Venerable Third Order
From 1609 onwards, the convent became the seat for the spiritual life of the Third Order (V.O.T.), composed of a congregation of people of both sexes and varied social status. In the convent all the social and religious acts of this community were carried out. Until 1620, this brotherhood used to meet for its activities in various chapels of the convent, until the friars sold them some land near the nave of Santa Juana and a large room that had served as a guest house for the laity. In this area the chapel and other rooms were built around 1622 (the work of the master masons and carpenters Domingo del Rey and Antonio de Morales is known, being the project or design of the architect Francisco de Praves). The expansion work continued in 1626 when they obtained, in exchange for alms, a little more space next to the chapel, where they would build the sacristy. In 1654 there was a new enlargement under the direction and project of the architect Juan de RépideIn the A.H.P.V. (leg. 1562, fol 1233), the deeds and the drawing of the church plan, the work of Juan de Répide, are preserved. From this contract we can know exactly the dimensions of the new floor plan and its distribution. and the church was rebuilt with the inscription:
After the enlargement, it ended up being a real church, 25.20 m long and 7.84 m wide in the nave, plus 9.80 m wide in the main chapel. The sacristy was located on the Gospel side. The body of the church was divided into 3 sections and the roof was vaulted and made of brick. The floor was also of brick. The walls were whitewashed. In 1675 the painter Antonio de Noboa Osorio covered them with paintings, and also took care of the gilding and decoration in many other parts of the church (vaults, lunettes, arches, windows, etc.). A few years earlier Diego Valentín Díaz
Diego Valentín Díaz (died 1660) was a Spanish historical painter and a familiar of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Holy Office. He was a native of Valladolid. Díaz painted many important pictures for churches and monasteries, e ...
had painted the pendentives. Sobremonte and Father Calderón describe the result of all these works, giving the impression of a baroque ensemble rich in themes and colors. They also give an account of the furnishings and the different existing areas: two side altars, a choir with organ, a sacristy with rich ornaments, a pulpit and a small garden.
The first main altarpiece (which burned in 1710) was, according to Sobremonte, "all of it an ember of gold". It was made by the assembler Antonio Villota, with Solomonic columns and was divided in two bodies and three streets. An image of the Immaculate Conception was placed in the central box. The second altarpiece was made by the gilders Claudio and Cristóbal Martínez de Estrada.
The convent in the 21st century
Nothing of what was the huge enclosure of this Convent of St. Francis remains in the memory of the Valladolid citizens of the 21st century. The new streets opened on its site do not evoke to the passerby what was built there a century ago. Only the so-called ''Acera de San Francisco'' has remained as a memory, to designate the section of the arcades of the Plaza Mayor, but not officially but as a tradition in people of an already advanced age who heard it named this way in their childhood. The Franciscans have resided since the middle of the 20th century in '' Paseo de Zorrilla'' nº 27 where they have the church-parish of the Immaculate Conception. It is a modern building designed by the Valladolid architect Julio González Martín.See also
*Franciscans
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
* Order of Friars Minor Conventual
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Cite book , last=Urueña Paredes , first=Juan Carlos , title=Rincones con fantasmas. Un paseo por el Valladolid desaparecido. , publisher=Ayuntamiento de Valladolid , year=2006 , isbn=84-95389-97-5 , location=Valladolid , language=Spanish Valladolid Convents Architecture in Spain Convents in Spain Buildings and structures demolished in 1836 Demolished buildings and structures in Spain