San Isidoro exposed: the vicissitudes of research in Romanesque art
John Williams
Abstract Some forty years ago, by chance, the author's campaign of recording through drawings earliest parts church San Isidoro de León coincided with exposure ground upon which that rested, allowing observations previous structures. Unfortunately, these observations, briefly noted in a postscript to an article 1973, were not subsequently made public. has become object recent studies, and conclusions have been drawn would possible had evidence uncovered removal floor published. This reports two campaigns, finds unexpectedly visible 1971. It also raises methodological issue: published myself others contradict idea pantheon was erected middle eleventh century literature ignored when earlier date is favored. Finally, it questions belief tradition Spanish pantheons treats skeptically assumption this dictated design so-called Pantheon Kings. The role Leonese palace may more important. Keywords: LeónSan IsidoropantheonFernando IUrraca Fernándezpalace Notes 1Williams, “San Isidoro,” Postscript, 184. 2For brief popular report my campaigns see Williams, “Solving Medieval Who-done-it.” plan foundations Fernando Sancha 1971 as well drawing locating vestiges first Romanesque Diario León, 12 April 2008, 58–9. 3Aspects study presented seminar at Consejo Superior Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, 11 February 2010. 4Viñayo, Real Colegiata, 87ff. 5Díaz-Jiménez, León,” 93, most extensive on excavations carried out 1908–09 under Juan Crisóstomo Torbado, architect-restorer Isidoro. Although produced Figure 4 includes southern foundation might suggest side porch, must fact sleeper wall arcade twelfth-century church. For Torbado's campaign, Mélida y Alinari, “La basilica legionense.” No tombs mentioned early literature, but three could be seen within adjacent Fernandine See 8 Appendix. 6Fletcher Barton, World El Cid, 56ff.; Historia Silense, 198ff. review history cemetery Martin, “Vie et morte dans la Panthéon”. 7Arbeiter Noack-Haley, Christliche Denkmäler, 193–203. 8The dimensions for given Gómez-Moreno (Arte románico, p. 103): nave length 11.6m, width 3.10m, aisle 1.83m. comparable Valdediós: 11.6, 3.6, 1.8 (Arias, Prerrománico asturiano, 143). 9Díaz-Jiménez, 94. 10Arbeiter 298f. 11Williams, 178. 12García Castro Valdés, Colegiata Pedro Teberga. 13Boto Varela, “Morfogénesis espacial,” 166f. 5. Whitehill, Architecture (148–9), went even further proposed appropriated Alfonso V added Pantheon. However, conclusion odds statement quoted Whitehill next paragraph, where relics Isidore installed newly built Fernando. 14Williams, 173, n. 6. recorded Georges Gaillard (Débuts, 11) without attribution, he reported (Spanish Architecture, 152, 2) his knowledge come from Torbado. 15Gaillard, Débuts, 12. 16Rodríguez, Guia artística, 38. 17Martin, Queen King, 126–8. 18Murillo Fragero, “Arqueología arquitectura,” 22ff., plans 28; Fernández González, “Reflexiones sobre evolución,” 52; Seehausen, “Baugeschichte als dynastisches Konstrukt,” 290. Seehausen claimed (205) showed “uncertainty” discoveries Gaillard, merely held possibility Urraca Fernández's time transepts (152, 3): “Granting M. Gaillard's contention present are twelfth work, seems me Doña Urraca's resembled those Jaca Frómista their dimensions.” 19See contemporaneous Salvini, “Il problema cronologico del pórtico.” 20For tombs, 7 21Williams, 176, Figures 13. extraordinarily thick some signs 20 cm its inner side. 177, 21. During Luis Menéndez Pidal's restoration cloister, stepped elements photos, one section left opening renewed vaults can still today. 22Williams, 177–8. 23See Poza Yagüe, “Entre tradición reforma,” 16: “Nada indica que estas obras [del Panteón] no pudieran estar finalizadas en 1067 muerte reina Sancha.” [Nothing indicates works [of Pantheon] completed death Sancha]. 24Bredekamp “Das Reliquiar,” 158–9; “Wege zum Heil,” 22; “Baugeschichte,” 204. 25Martin, 47–8, 11. note 59 below. 26Bredekamp 156; 5; 203. 27Seehausen, 28Seehausen, 9, 205. 29Cazes Cazes, Saint-Sernin, 76, 138, 318. 30Williams, “Emergence Romanesque,” 192; 79; Herráez, Cosmen, “Escultura Isidoro.” similarity capitals Saint-Sernin led Marcel Durliat question contemporaneity (L'Art roman Espagne, 17–18). 31Cazes 144. Compare Durliat, Sculpture romane route, 45, 51 Gómez-Moreno, Arte pl. LX. 32Cazes 62; romane, 100. 33Martin, 28. 34Cazes 132, 174, 212. 35Williams, 185–8. 36Fletcher 55; 197. 37See, however, skepticism Krüger, “Fürstengrablegen Nordspanien,” 62: “Contrary what put forward […], existence specifically Hispanic burial western annexes church, prototype panteón Sta. María Oviedo, questionable. Indeed, single bay Oviedo only type.” 38Gómez Moreno, Catálogo, 182 39See, example, Cod. 94, Bibl. Isidoro, second quarter seventeenth century. 40In “Visita Abacial” 1718, 102, fols. 23v 50r. 41For overview burials Martín López, “Las inscripciones Panteón.” 63. 42Williams, 179–80. 84; “Chronicling Iberian Palace,” 123ff. 43For tribune Bango, “Espacio para enterramientos,” 105; Fernández, 51. I learned reversal spiral staircase Andrés Seoane Otero, supervisor works. 44Martin, 128. 45Lucae Tudensis, Chronicon mundi, 275. 46Boto, 169–70, 5 In sixteenth century, Alfonso's thought canons located immediate north sanctuary actual Trinity chapel sits. Pérez Llamazares, 375f. 47Lucae 48Grabar, Martyrium. 49Grabar, Martyrium, 545–59. 50After survey Asturian examples, César García concluded “[…] consideramos sin fundamento resultado los prejuicios interpretativos las teorías asignan sentido funerario estructuras occidentales asturianas Alta Edad Media […]” (“Las occidentales,” 165). He did include Rey Casto because part towered porch. 51Gil Moralejo, Ruiz Peña, Crónicas asturianas, 139 [… etiam occidentali parte huius uenerande domus edem ad recondenda regum adstruxit corpora …]. 52Selgas, Monumentos ovetenses, 68–78, 73. 53Carvallo, Antigüedades, I: 307–8. 54Morales, Viage por orden rey, 88–9. 55García Arqueología Cristiana, 398–404. 56Collins, “Julian Toledo,” 44–5: “It particularly interesting bodies dead [Visigothic] kings attracted special interest … A king die buried virtually anywhere.” 57Bango, enterramientos.” 58Bango, 59Bango, 102. termed “replica” Oviedo. 60Bango, “Esapacio 105: “En primitivas reparaciones suelo se ha podido comprobar muros banqueta enlazaban continua perfectamente con primitivo templo prerrománico, lo testimonia incontravertiblemente el proyecto original estructura este cementerio linea ovetense.” [With repairs walls socle joined perfectly primitive pre-Romanesque shows incontrovertibly project building followed Oviedan tradition.] Just form “primitivas reparaciones” specified. 61García Castro, “Estructuras 165. 62Martin, 129ff. 63Xavier Dectot recently acknowledged (Tombeaux des familles royales, 126) pantheon's significant architectural called attention low height comparison carries: fonction du niveau inférieur est avant tout architecturale, ce dont peut juger au moins d'après l'arcature qui explique sa hauteur plus faible.” [The function lower level essentially architectural, least judge arched [into church] tribune, thus Pantheon].] 64Sánchez Ameijeiras, “Eventful Life;” Suárez “Del pergamino piedra?”
Journal of Medieval Iberian Studies