Mudejar Art in Aragón. Introduction. Aragon. Spain.
The Mudejar
Mudéjar means the pervivencia of the Muslim art in the
Christian Spain of the Average and Modern, logical Age after the
presence of the Islam during so many centuries. The advance of
Reconquista went incorporating to Christian territories Islamic
communities. Mudéjares, Muslims submissive the Christian dominion,
will maintain their religion contributing their artistic way of life
and its elements, working like constructors, master builders,
carpenters, decoradores in plaster, according to their artisan
traditions. This fact receives importance from reconquers it of
Toledo (1085), where that situation of religious tolerance occurs
characteristic of the Hispanic medieval society, coexisting Christian,
Jewish and Muslim. Finished he reconquers it (1492), the Jews are
expelled and mudéjares forced to choose between this or the
conversion to the Christianity. From 1502 in Castile and 1526 in
Aragón, mudéjares turned receives the new name of moriscos or
Christians, to their definitive expulsion in 1610.
The term " to mudéjar " like artistic manifestation, cannot
be defined only as " art done by mudéjares ", since they made it and
they accepted for his Christian and Jewish constructions also, being
expression of that complex society.
Multiple factors conditioned the peculiar development of the
art to mudéjar. Reconquista is incorporating dispersed centers
mudéjares geographically and with different Muslim origins. Their
continuous contact among them, with the western Christian art and the
influences that receive from the Muslim art of zones nonreconquered,
forms the artistic phenomenon.
Within the variety of mudéjar some aspects exist that
predominate. The generalized use of the brick , of
standardized although varied measures, is conditional the thickness of
walls, pillars or arcs. The mampuesto is used
ordered and reinforced by brick lines, and canteria
in reinforcement of corners. Fundamental plaster
like definidor decorativo atmosphere system, is used so much whitening
an inner wall as in complex yeserías. In the covering of interiors
the master builders use the decorated wood ceiling ,
in which they are masterful unquestionable. With respect to the
ornamental with little interest by the figurative thing, to geometric
forms of loop and vegetables of ataurique
inherited of the Muslim are developed, adding Christian
elements.
MUDEJAR IN ARAGON
Compléto throughout century XII reconquers Aragonese,
Zaragoza (1118), Daroca and Calatayud (1120), arriving until Teruel
(1171). From then, outside the reconquistador process and of the
contact with the islamizado south, the development of the art to
mudéjar acquires own personality and autonomy. The palace
taifa of the Aljaferia is going to become fundamental center
of influences (1046-1082) and on the other hand in him they are going
away to center the main accomplishments mudéjares of the kings, when
becoming its official residence.
In Aragón the greater contructiva density to mudéjar
appears in level territories of the Ebro and its southern affluents,
the Tug and the Jiloca, not only by the permanence of the population
to mudéjar, but by other conditioners like geographic, the stone
shortage in the valley of the Ebro, the identification of the romanico
with the way of life of the inhabitants of Pyrenean, the etc., who
will be determining factors so that the art arises to mudéjar in
Aragón. The generalized acceptance of the art to mudéjar on the
part of the Aragonese society is pronounced in its pervivencia until
century XVII, even in the baroque art, after the expulsion of the
moriscos (1610).
Indeed, it will be the axis of the Ebro, as well as the
shores of his affluents of the right margin, the space in which it
will be developed splendidly. The located ones outside the this zone,
most significant are isolated cases of all of them is
turolense to mudéjar . Today declared by UNESCO cultural
patrimony of the humanity.
Of century XII they are the conserved monuments mudéjares of
early time: tower of Santo Domingo and apse of San Juan in Daroca,
the church of Santa Maria (present cathedral) and the tower of San
Pedro de Teruel.
The time of greater splendor of mudéjar agrees with the
period of greater height of the gothic one: end of century XIII and
principles of century XIV. Of this time are the churches of San Pablo,
the Magdalena, San Gil and San Miguel of the Navarrese in capital
Zaragoza. What traditionally it has been known better the art to
mudéjar Aragonese are his splendid tower-bell tower, retort of
alminares Muslim. Of square plant, like San Martín and El
Salvador in Teruel and the Magdalena in Zaragoza; with
octogonal plant those of San Pablo in Zaragoza and Tauste were
constructed.
In the borders of the Queiles (Tarazona) they emphasize
claustro of the Canonesas, his cathedral and the Magdalena. The
colegiatas of Borja and Calatayud are good samples of this brick art,
also used in claustro of Santo Sepulcro and Santa Maria of this last
city. The turolense capital - true museum mudéjar- counts, in
addition to with its beautiful towers, the rich one adorned with
caissons of the Cathedral.
Other important caissoned ceilings of this style are those of
badly called house of D. Juan of Austria in Daroca and the one of the
Virgin of the Source in Penarroya de Tastavins.
The information will not be complete without a stroll by its three provinces:
Zaragoza,
Teruel
y Huesca
y sus varied Regions,
with shutdown in some of its spectacular landscapes like Ordesa
or the Moncayo
or by opposition in the valle of the Ebro.
