Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera
The monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera is a religious complex located in the city of Nájera, in the Autonomous Community of La Rioja (Spain). In it is the pantheon of the kings of the kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona, predecessor of the kingdom of Navarra. As Nájera was located on the Camino de Santiago and had been the seat of Navarrese monarchs, the importance of the monastery of Santa María la Real was elevated.
History
In 923 the king of León Ordoño II, in alliance with the kingdom of Pamplona, conquered Nájera from the Muslims. A few years earlier, in 918 Sancho Garcés I of Pamplona had named his son García Sánchez King of Nájera after conquering a good part of La Rioja together with the Leonese.
In 1035, García Sánchez III, known as García el de Nájera, ascended the throne of the kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona. According to legend, in 1044 he discovered an image of the Virgin in a cave, while he was out hunting; Following his falcon he finds a small chapel made in the cave with the image of the Virgin, a bouquet of lilies (symbol of the monastery) and a bell. The image is called Santa María en la Cueva and it is decided to build a temple with a monastery. The temple would be consecrated and finished on December 12, 1052.
After this, García wanted to enrich it by bringing the bodies of saints from the region, for which he asked the bishops Sancho de Pamplona, García de Álava and Gómez de Burgos for their approval. In 1052 he tried to transfer the body of San Felices de Bilibio, reaching such an agreement with the bishop of Álava. He went to the Riscos de Bilibio accompanied by many knights, but when he opened the tomb, he felt the burial mound separate and his mouth twisted, after which a strong storm began. Believing that heaven was opposed to the transfer, they left, but it seems that the bishop would keep the deformation of his face for life. On May 29, 1053, he tried to carry the remains of Saint Millán without success, due to the miracle of the oxen that they did not want to continue with the transfer.
The king died in the battle of Atapuerca and was buried at the feet of the Virgin, in the cave. His successor Sancho IV the noble, also known as el de Peñalén , completed the works.
During the reign of Sancho el de Peñalén, the monastery was occupied by monks of the order of San Isidoro who practiced the Visigothic rite. In 1067 a council was held there in which the replacement of the Visigothic rite by the Roman ritual was agreed.
In 1076 Sancho the Noble is assassinated by his brothers Ramón and Ermisinda in Peñalén, Funes (Navarre). After his murder, his brothers divide the kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona between Castilla and Aragón. Nájera was incorporated into the crown of Castile under Alfonso VI of León and, later, to the kingdom of Aragon under Alfonso I the Battler. Later it is Alfonso VII who occupies these lands.
In 1045 the conquest of Calahorra was definitively stabilized and in 1079 the episcopal seat, which was in Nájera, moved to that city.
In 1134 the kingdom of Pamplona regained its independence from that of Aragón under the reign of García Ramírez, known for this reason as the Restorer, and with him began another period of royal burials in the convent of Santa María, since both he and his family are buried here.
In 1422 work began on the new temple that replaced the original Romanesque one. It would not be finished until 1453. In 1486 the abbey became independent from the Order of Cluny, while a series of important reforms were carried out: the high choir stalls were installed in 1493, the refectory was finished in 1513 and the Knights' cloister in 1517. The abbey is incorporated into the congregation of San Benito de Valladolid in 1513.
Nájera is positioned on the part of the Comuneros and, in their defeat, is handed over to the looting of the royal troops.
In the first quarter of the XVII century, between 1621 and 1625, the portal of the temple was built and at the end of that In the same century, the main altarpiece, in the Baroque style, was installed.
The 19th century was a difficult time for the religious complex of Santa María la Real de Nájera. In its early years, during the War of Independence, it suffered attacks and looting by French troops and guerrillas.
In 1835, due to the confiscation of Mendizábal, the religious were expelled and the monastery was abandoned, being vandalized and suffering many damages and losses. The building is then used as a warehouse, schools, barracks... The church became a parish from 1845 until 1885.
In 1889, the complex was declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument and a few years later, in 1895, a community of Franciscan friars entered the convent and began its recovery. In 1909 the State began to contribute to the restoration and in 1959 the Board of Trustees of Santa María la Real was founded, in which the councils of Navarra (since 1982 the Government of Navarra), Guipúzcoa, Vizcaya, Álava, Logroño (since 1982, Government of La Rioja), the municipality of Nájera and the Order of the Franciscans.
Monastery
The exterior of the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera is a mixture of different styles, the result of its long history. The defense needs meant that the walls were high and that the buttresses had the function of bastions. The 17th century left the decoration of the walls and doors and the quadrangular tower. The portico of the church was built between the years 1621 and 1625.
Inside the monastery we distinguish two fundamental spaces: the temple with the Royal pantheon, and the cloister, called the Knights. Access to the cloister is through the so-called Puerta de Carlos I. This door is in the Flamboyant Gothic style and appears very ornate; on it there is a large royal shield with the arms of Carlos I and a double-headed eagle. This shield was made in honor of the king, who generously contributed to the construction of the cloister.
Next to the door, start the access stairs to the upper cloister. This staircase is in the Renaissance style and is covered by a hemispherical dome decorated with coffers painted in trompe l'oeil. The central motif of the decoration is a bird: the pelican. It shows the date of its construction, the year 1594, and is called the Royal Staircase.
The Temple
In 1052 the primitive temple for the Virgen de la Cueva was inaugurated and consecrated. The style of this construction was Romanesque with Mozarabic influences.
The current temple was built between 1422 and 1453, it is in a flowery Gothic style, presenting slender yet simple forms. The vaults are simple ribbed, except for the shell of the central apse, which is star-shaped; the lateral apses are quadrangular, and the clerestory has almost triangular windows.
The interior consists of three naves separated by 10 columns. Below the choir opens the cave where the image of the Virgin is believed to have appeared, a place where it has been kept ever since.
The main altarpiece is from the end of the XVII century, in the Baroque style, with large Solomonic columns highly decorated with clusters and vine leaves. In the central part is the chapel of the Virgin, with the original image, surrounded by the founders of the Benedictine Order, in its masculine (San Benito) and feminine (Santa Escolástica) branches and the representation of the founding kings. The representation of the elements that are said to have been next to the image of the Virgin when it was found is striking: a jug with lilies (the emblem of the monastery), a lamp and a bell. Above these elements, a frieze tells of the discovery of the Virgin by King García. The altarpiece is finished off by a Calvary.
In the left side nave there is a replica of the main altarpiece that existed before the current one was built. Part of the original is preserved in the Antwerp museum, where it arrived after being sold in the 19th century. Its author was Hans Memling.
The image of the Virgin
The image that gave rise to the religious complex is a medieval sculpture in carved wood, and polychrome only on the front. It shows the Virgin seated, holding a lily or lily flower with her right hand, and with the other the Child Jesus, who is in turn seated on her mother's left knee; the Child imparts the blessing with his right hand, while he holds a ball with the other.
The image was restored in 1948 by the Príncipe de Viana institute.
The Imperial State Crown, part of the British Crown Jewels, was made in 1838 for the coronation of Queen Victoria. In the center of the cross on the front there is a ruby, from a virgin from the Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera and which was taken to England as booty by the Black Prince after helping Pedro I the Cruel in the wars of he.
The cave
The cave where the image was found, integrated into the temple, is one of the many that exist in the Nájera area and that have had various uses over time. According to tradition, a small chapel had been built in this cave in which the image of the Virgin was venerated. In 1044 the king, who was hunting with falconry, following his falcon found the small chapel with the Virgin next to a bouquet of lilies, a lamp and a bell. The triumphs that followed in the wars of conquest against the Muslims were attributed by the king to the image found.
Until the construction of the main altarpiece, the image of the Virgin remained in this place. Later it was replaced by another that was in the chapel of the Royal Alcázar, which is the one that can be seen today since 1845. This carving is from the end of the century XIII. It was restored in 1998. The cave has been one of the places chosen by many nobles and religious for their burial. Until the restoration works at the end of the XX century, these graves were located on the floor of the enclosure.
Chorus
In the choir stands out the stalls, in Gothic style. It was carried out between the years 1493 and 1495, attributing the direction of the work to the brothers Andrés and Nicolás Amutio, and it was financed by the abbot Pablo Martínez de Uruñuela (they are represented on the back of the second lower left chair).
The carvings on the backs, as well as on the misericordia, are all different and represent religious symbols, scenes of daily life, and important figures from that time. The carving of the abbatial chair stands out, in which King García el de Nájera is represented.
The set of chairs is crowned by two large canvases. In one of them there is a gallery with six duly identified pairs of kings. The set ends with a baroque representation of a Benedictine congregation on a frieze with columns that closes a rococo landscape. It ended up badly damaged in the period of abandonment of the monumental complex at the end of the XIX century.
Pantheons and chapels
Royal Pantheon
At the foot of the central nave, on both sides of the entrance to the Cave, are the tombs of the kings of the kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona, precursor of the kingdom of Navarre. Here are buried the kings of the Jimena or Abarca dynasties, which remained on the throne from 918 to 1076, and the one that followed García Ramírez who reigned from 1135 to 1234. This dynasty comes from that of the Abarcas.
The sculptural ensemble formed by the funerary coffers is much later than the time of the bodies that occupy them. They are Renaissance in style with a certain plateresque air. The ornamentation is austere, on the sepulchral urns made of white stone are the recumbent figures of the different characters with their royal attributes and an epitaph cartouche. Around 1556 the construction of this pantheon began.
Pantheon of infants
On the right side of the central nave is the so-called Pantheon of the infants, here the remains of those royal characters who did not become kings are collected. Among all the graves, that of Blanca Garcés, known as Blanca de Navarra, stands out. The tomb of Blanca de Navarra, of which only the lid remains, is the only original in the set. It dates from the 12th century and is a piece of Romanesque carving. It is adorned with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Gospel and from the life of the deceased, who died very young.
Pantheon of the Dukes of Nájera
To the left of the presbytery is the Manrique de Lara pantheon, dukes of Nájera since it was created by the Catholic Monarchs in 1482. The Dukes of Nájera governed the city until the year 1600, when they left no succession. Among the tombs stands out the one of the first duke, nicknamed el Fuerte, Pedro Manrique III de Lara who was important in the court of Fernando de Aragón, participating with him in the conquest of Granada and later as viceroy of Navarre after the conquest of this kingdom in 1512. Juan Esteban Manrique de Lara also rests here, who was viceroy of Navarre in 1521 and at whose side Saint Ignatius of Loyola fought in the siege of Pamplona.
The Cloister of the Knights
Between the years 1517 and 1528 the cloister was built, which combines the flowery Gothic of the vaults and pillars, with the Plateresque of the tracery of the arches. Most of the headstones of the wall tombs found there also correspond to this style.
The arches, 24 in number, are decorated with stone tracery, each with a different motif. This stone lattice appears supported by slender columns. An upper cloister was built on this level in 1578.
The name Cloister of the Knights is due to the fact that many nobles chose this place to be buried. Of those tombs, only those located in the walls remain, since those that were on the ground were removed during the restorations due to their poor condition.
Abandonment and misuse of the monumental complex in the XIX century significantly deteriorated the cloister. For now, only the lower cloister has been restored.
Chapel of Queen Mencía López de Haro
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In one of the corners of the west side of the cloister is the chapel that contains the tomb of the queen of Portugal Mencía López de Haro. This lady was the second wife of the Portuguese King Sancho II Capelo. When this king died in 1248, Mencía returned to Nájera, where he lived until his death in 1272. The sarcophagus dates from the 13th century and is decorated with the arms of Portugal and the López de Haro family. Next to Mencía's tomb are those of her brothers and that of Garci Lasso Ruiz de la Vega, who died in the battle of Nájera in 1367. The chapel housed a Christ who was highly venerated.
Mausoleum of Diego López de Haro, the Good
The López de Haro lineage held the titles of Counts of Nájera and Lords of Vizcaya since King Sancho the Greater granted them until the 19th century XIV.
The mausoleum of Diego López de Haro, called el Bueno, 10th Lord of Vizcaya (1170-1214) is located next to the entrance to the church, through which you access the feet of the central nave, on the south wall of the cloister. At the foot of Don Diego's sarcophagus is that of his second wife, Toda Pérez de Azagra, who died in 1216. The urns are Romanesque, but there are Renaissance additions to the exterior decorations. The bas-reliefs show scenes of the burial and the characters that appear in them are dressed in clothing from the 13th century.
Gateway to the temple
The door that gives access to the temple is a magnificent example of Plateresque carving. It dates from the first half of the 16th century and is decorated with medallions, fantastic plant and animal motifs grouped into rectangular panels. It is made of carved walnut wood.
List of characters buried in Santa María la Real
The Monastery houses the Royal Pantheon of the kings of the kingdom of Nájera-Pamplona, predecessor of the kingdom of Navarre, during the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. Among the royal figures are members of two different dynasties, the Jimena, or Abarcas, who ruled between 918 and 1076, and the one established by García Ramírez, who ruled Navarre between 1135 and 1234.
Inside the temple there are two different areas, the Royal Pantheon and the Infants' Pantheon. In other places of the religious complex there are more burials, such as the cloister of the Knights with the mausoleum of Diego López de Haro the Good and his wife. There are many other burials, some still unidentified.
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In chronological order, the following characters are buried in this religious complex:
In the Royal pantheon and infants:
- The king Sancho Garcés II "Abarca", son of King García Sánchez I of Pamplona, founder of the kingdom of Nájera. He was king of Nájera-Pamplona between 970 and 994. His son was García Sánchez II of Pamplona "the Temblon".
- Urraca Fernández, wife of Sancho Abarca and daughter of Count Fernán González.
- The king García Sánchez III de Pamplona "the one of Nájera", son of Sancho Garcés III of Pamplona "the Major" and founder of the monastery. He died in 1054 at the Battle of Atapuerca.
- Queen Estefanía, wife of García the daughter of Nájera.
- Sancho Garcés IV "the Noble" or "the Peñalén", the son of García el de Nájera, was killed by his brothers Ramón and Ermesinda in 1076 on the site of Peñalén (Funes, Navarra), with 36 years. His death meant the end of the kingdom of Nájera.
- Pleasure of Normandy, wife of Sancho IV.
- Major Garcés, sister of Sancho IV.
- Jimena Garcés, sister of Sancho IV.
- Fernando Garcés, brother of Sancho IV.
- Ramon Garcés, brother of Sancho IV, who collaborated in his death.
- Ermesinda Garcés, sister of Sancho IV, who collaborated in her death.
- Urraca Garcés, daughter of King García Sánchez III of Pamplona and Estefanía and wife of García Ordóñez, Count of Nájera.
- Major Garcia, daughter of Count García Ordóñez and Urraca.
- Ramiro Garcés, brother of Sancho IV, died in the Battle of Rueda.
- Ramon (Raimundo) Sanchez, lord of Esquíroz, illegitimate son of Sancho IV.
- Sancho VI of Navarra "the Sabio", also called the Valiente. Son of García Ramírez de Pamplona and father of Sancho VII de Navarra The Fort. He ruled from 1151 and died in 1194.
- Sancha de Castilla, daughter of Alfonso VII de León and wife of Sancho IV de Navarra.
- Blanca Garcés de Pamplona, daughter of García Ramírez, married in 1151 to King Sancho III of Castile the Wish. His son was Alfonso VIII of Castile. He died in 1156. It has two funeral monuments: on the one hand, a Romanesque tomb, of great importance, and on the other hand its tomb next to the rest of the pantheon.
- Sancha Garcés, daughter of King García Ramírez and wife of Gastón V de Bearne.
- Bermudo III de León, protected by Sancho the Major to rule in León at the death of his father. He died in the battle of Tamaron in 1037. Although it has a tomb in the monastery, it seems to be buried in the Basilica of St. Isidoro de León.
- All López de Haro, adjudicated to the monastery the property of Santa Maria de Estíbaliz.
In the Chapel of the Vera Cruz, ordered to be built by Mencía López de Haro:
- López de Haro, daughter of Lope Díaz II of Haro, Queen of Portugal.
- Lope Díaz de Haro, son of unknown mother of Lope Díaz II de Haro, was bishop of Siganza.
- Diego López de Salcedo, illegitimate son of Lope Díaz II de Haro, married to María Álvarez, daughter of Álvaro Fernández Potesta.
- García Manrique de Lara, from the centuryXVI.
- Garcilaso de la Vega, early in the centuryXIII.
- All Lopez, daughter of the seventh lord of Vizcaya.
- Lope Íñiguez, called the BlondeAnd his wife Ticla Diaz.
In the cloister:
- Diego López II de Haro the "Good", with his figure of the centuryXIII.
- All Perez de Azagra, second wife of Diego López II de Haro.
- Lope Díaz II de Haro, son of Diego López II de Haro.
- Diego López III de Haro, son of Lope Díaz II de Haro.
- Sancho López de Haro, son of Lope Díaz II de Haro.
- Alfonso López de Haro, son of Lope Díaz II de Haro, lord of the Cameros for his marriage to María Álvarez, daughter of Álvar Díaz de los Cameros.
- Berenguela López de Haro, daughter of Lope Díaz II de Haro.
Gallery
Medieval Madonna of the main altarpiece.
Gothic Virgin, in the church cave.
Detail of the choir sillery.
Cloisters of the monastery.
