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Frontispiece of the
Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana |
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As symbol of monasterial power,
the magnificent Romanesque collegiate church of Santa
Juliana was built to which in the 11th, 12th and 13th
centuries, the loggia and pediment were added to the southern
door, the vestry
and the House of the Abbot, in a perfectly adapted
Romanesque spirit. Not only its architectural value but
also its capitals in the cloister representing historical events,
are considered among the best Romanesque sculptural
examples in Cantabria. In addition, there are three
polychromatic reliefs on the disappeared western
frontispiece, representing a Pantócrator, the Virgin and
Child and Santa Juliana defeating the devil. Inside the
church are kept significant painting and sculpture pieces
such as Doña Fronilde's Sepulchre (12th century), the
rich recumbent statue on Santa Juliana's Sepulchre (15th
century), the Spanish-Flemish image of this Santa, a 17th
century Christ of the Castilian school, the rich frontage
of the main altar made of repoussé and chiselled silver
from Mexico. However, undoubtedly the most outstanding
piece of the main altarpiece of Santa Juliana, in Gothic style, contains
extraordinary Renaissance paintings of Flemish and
Italian influence, as well as rich Gothic and Renaissance
sculptures. As a
symbol of nobility, the Merino Tower and the Don Borja
Tower (present
headquarters of the Fundación Santillana) were built
between the 14th and 15th centuries. These are Gothic
military towers in which a "peaceful" character
prevails over the defensive function. Also from this
period is the House of Leonor de la Vega with the heavy coat of arms of her
lineage on the façade. Already in the 16th century, the Las
Arenas Palace of
the House of Velarde existed, with silver décor motifs,
considered one of the most important Renaissance
architecture expressions in Cantabria.
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