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Jaiokundeko Ama Birjinaren eliza- Añua

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Errepide nagusietatik apur bat urrunduta, Añua herri txikiak jauregi armarridunak gordetzen ditu eta eliza dotore batek bere iragana aberatsari buruz hitz egiten digu. XIV. mendetik aurrera, Gaztelako Alfonso X.ak ezarri zuen pribilegio bati ezker, Burgeluko zatia da. Gaur egun Dona Jakue bide ofizialean ez badago ere, bide hauek aldakorrak izaten ziren eta tradizionalki eliza hau leku garrantzitsua izan zen erromesentzat. 1294an herriak 900 marabedik eman zituen arabiarren aurkako gudak finantzatzeko. Diru kopuru honek egoera oparo bati buruz hitz egiten digu. Mende berean hasi ziren gaur egungo elizaren zortzi aldeko abside paregabea eraikitzen, Arabako Lautadako Erdi Aroko bitxikeria dena.

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Erdi aroko margoak

Laurogeita hamargarren hamarkadan egindako berritze lanetan gangak eta absidearen horma batzuk estaltzen dituzten erdi aroko margoak aurkitu zituzten. Gangen dobeletan, gorri koloreko harri zatiketaz aparte, izarrez eta lorez barrutik dekoratutako borobil batzuk aurkitu zituzten. Hormek harri zatiketa zabalago bat dute, ziurrenik zaharragoa, beltzez eta gorriz. Irudi geometriko eta landarezko friso batek hormak korritzen ditu inposta baten itxura ematen eta bere behean, beterik ez dagoen gazteluaren setio baten eszena aurkitzen dugu, soldaduen irudiekin gaztelua defendatzen, Alaitzan ikusten den bezala. Leihoetan intereseko polikromia dago, hori, gorri eta beltz koloreekin, eskultura estaltzen du zutabeei marmolaren itxura emanez.

Berritze lan handia

Laurogeita hamargarren hamarkadan egindako berritze lanetan eraikinak zeharo aldatu zuen bere itxura. Alde batetik, atxikitua zeuden eraikinak desagertu ziren eta, era horretan, izkutaturik zeuden eskulturak irten ziren argira. Margo mural liluragarriak ere agertu ziren, hiribildua bezala, hormatik atera zutena eta gaur egun nabean ikusten dena. Beste aldetik, barruko aldea guztiz berritu zen, margo originalak argira ekartzen. Erretaula barrokoa kendu zen absidetik eta alboko kapera batean utzi zuten. Erdi aroko leihoak ere, estalita zeudenak salbatu ziren. Argazki zaharretan ikusten dira aldaketa guzti hauek. Bertan eskolako eraikina agertzen da elizpeari atxikitua.

 

Jaiokundeko Ama Birjinaren eliza

Absidea

Añuako elizaren absidea Arabako Lautadako Erdi Aroko artearen adibide aberasgarri bat da. XIII. mende hasierako lana da, interes bereziko momentu batean eraikia, inguruko lan-maisuak Frantziatik zein penintsulako beste lekuetatik zetorren estilo gotikoa lantzen hasten baitziren. Era horretan, hanka batekin tradizio erromanikoan eta bestea eraikuntza korronte berrietan, eraikuntza handinahi harrigarri bat altxatu zuten herriaren eta lekuaren ezaugarriekin konparatuta. Absidearen bost paretetan arku itsu multzo batek, zutabe txikiz dekoratuak, eraikuntzaren bertikaltasuna azpimarratzen du. Gainera, horma batzuk lore itxurako okulu ederraz dekoratuta daude, tenpluari pertsonalitate berezia ematen diona.

Harburuak

Goiko erlaitzean lurraldeko harburuen multzorik interesgarriena dugu. Hegoaldetik iparraldera abside osoa korrituz , buruak, pertsonen eta animalien aurpegiak, munstroak, landareak… aurkitzen ditugu, baina arreta gehien bereganatzen duten harburuek kapela puntako juglare baten aurpegia da, harrobi bat bere lanabesarekin eta exhibizionista pare baten irudiak dira.

Absidearen leihoen kapiteletan oso apainketa interesgarria dugu. Lautadako beste lekuetan aurkitzen dugun apainketa bera da, adibidez, arrano bat untxi batekin hanketan edo sei lore-hostoko irudia borobil batean sartuta. Beste kapitel batean hiru emakume, pote batekin eskuan dutelarik, Hiru Marien irudikapena izan zitekeena. Haien aurrean, ohiko emakumezko baten irudia burukoarekin. Kasu honetan gizonezkoaren irudia (normalki emakumearen ondoan agertzen dena) askoz txikiagoa da eta sirenen artean kokatzen da txori baten itxurarekin.
Araban hain ohikoak ez diren bere eskultura batzuk badira ere, absidearen leihoan adibidez, bi aingeruen irudikapena, maindire itxurako gauza baten gainean hildako baten arima zeruan zehar garraiatzen dutela. Eszena honek ilea askatuta daraman emakumezko aurpegi batekin, arkibolta erdian dagoena, zerikusirik eduki dezake.

Tenplua barrualdean

Eraikinean sartzeko ate gotiko bat zeharkatu behar da, arte tailer ezberdin batek egindakoa. Tenplu barruan XVI. mendean egindako handiagotze lanak nabariak dira. Erdi aroko abside eta presbiterioa mantenduz, nabearen gorputz nagusia handitu zen, bi zatitan tertzelete gangaz estalita. Dobelak grisaila margo errenazentistaz dekoraturik daude, santuen, apostoluen, ebanjelisten eta Testamentu zaharreko pertsonaien irudiekin.

Otazu-Gebaratarren kapera

Otazu-Gebara familiakoek, elizaren iparraldeko horman haien hilobi kapera eraiki zutenak izan omen ziren handitze lan honen bultzatzaileak. Kaperaren sarrera arkuak elementu gotikoak ditu, baina gangak estaltzen dituzten margoak errenazentistak dira. Azkenengo berritze lanak egin baino lehen, kapera honetan San Sebastian triptikoa zegoen, XVI. mendeko altxor bat dena, Araban pareko oso gutxi daudelarik. Erdian santu baten eskultura dugu eta ateetan bere historiaren momenturik garrantzitsuenak kontatzen dira lau margo ezberdinetan.

Sakristia

Mende bat beranduago, XVII. mendean, gaur egun absidearen iparraldea estaltzen duen sakristia gehitu zen. Bataiotegi bihurtuta, oraindik kontserbatzen du Pedro de la Cuestak egindako ganga liluragarria, Otazu-Guevaratarren kapera gotiko berantiarrarekin primeran konektatzen duena.

Erretaula

Erretaula nagusia, gaur egun aipatutako kaperan dagoena, orain dela hamarkada gutxi arte absidean zegoen. XVII. mendeko lan sinple bat da, hiru gorputz eta hiru kale ditu eta XVIII. mendeko bukaeran urreztatu zen. Lehenengo gorputzean, tabernakuluaren alboetan Juan deunak daude; bigarren gorputzean, tenpluaren titularra den Birjinaren eskultura dago, Joaquin eta Jose deunekin; azkenik, goiko gorputzean Domingo eta Francisco deunen irudiak daude, erdialdea Kalbario eszenarako utziz.

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Argazki-kredituak:

Egungo argazkiak: © Alava Medieval / Erdi Aroko Araba

Antzinako argazkiak: Arabako Lurralde Historikoko Artxiboa

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The church of the Nativity of Our Lady (Añua)

Introduction

Slightly apart from the main roads, the small town of Añua still preserves the emblazoned palaces and a magnificent church that tell us about its rich past. Since the 14th century, and due to a privilege issued by the King Alphonse XI of Castile, it is part of the municipality of Elburgo. Although today it is not part of the official route of the Way of Saint James, the roads varied over time and this church has traditionally been considered as one of the great milestones for pilgrims. In 1294, chronicles tell us about a contribution of the town of 900 maravedíes to a campaign against the Arabs, a far from inconsiderable amount that informs us about an economically prosperous situation. In that same century, the building of the magnificent octagonal apse of the church started, one of the medieval jewels of the Alavese Plains.

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Medieval paintings

In the restoration of the nineties, a series of medieval paintings that cover the vaults and part of the walls of the east end were discovered. On the web spandrels of the vaults, in addition to red ashlar masonry, there are some decorative stripes with stars and flowers inscribed in circles. The walls are covered with a wider masonry, possibly older, in red and black. A border of geometrical and vegetal motifs runs along the walls as an impost and, below, an unfinished scene is preserved, formed by some figures of soldiers defending a castle, theme that also appears in the church of Alaiza. The windows also feature an interesting polychromy with yellow, red and black tones that cover the sculpture work and also give a marble effect to the columns.

The great restoration

In the nineties, numerous and important restorations were carried out in the building that transformed it in a noticeable way. On the one hand, the buildings that were attached to it were removed and, that way, sculptural elements that had been hidden were brought to light. Amazing mural paintings also appeared, as the fortified city that could be saved by tearing it from the wall, which can be today seen inside the nave. On the other hand, a complete restoration of the interior was carried out, bringing to light the original paintings. For this purpose, the baroque altarpiece was moved away and placed in a side chapel, and the medieval windows that had been covered could also be rescued. The old photographs allow us to see these important changes perfectly, as we can still see the school building that connected with the porch.

 

The church of the Nativity of Our Lady

The apse

The apse of the church of Añua is one of the richest models of medieval art in the entire Alavese Plains. It is a work from the early 13th century, built at a time of particular interest when the masters that worked on the area started to experiment with Gothic forms that came from France as well as other places of the peninsular kingdoms. Thus, with one foot in the Romanesque tradition and the other in the new construction trends, they built a surprisingly ambitious work for the humble rural context in which it is located. The five wall sections feature a series of blind arcades with columns that highlight the verticality of the building. Besides, some of the walls have beautiful flower-shaped oculi that give the temple a great personality.

Corbels

The upper cornice presents one of the most interesting collections of corbels in the province. Running along the apse from its south side northwards, we can see grotesque heads and faces of animals and people, monsters, vegetal elements… but, above all, characters like a minstrel with a pointed hat, a stonemason with his tool and a nice couple of exhibitionists stand out.

The decoration that can be found on the capitals of the apse windows is also very interesting. There we can find several elements that we will see in other churches of the Alavese Plains, such as the eagle that carries a rabbit in its claws or the flower of six petals engraved on a circle. In another capital, three women appear with jars in their hands, who could be identified as a representation of the Three Marys. In front of them, we find the usual image of the lady with a headdress, although, in this case, the gentleman (who often accompanies her in other churches) has a smaller size and is placed between bird-shaped mermaids.
We also have other less common elements in the sculpture in Álava, as an interesting carving on the capital of the apse window with two angels that carry the soul of a deceased on a kind of sheet, who is led to heaven after its death. This scene could be connected to the feminine face with loose hair that is represented in the centre of the archivolt.

Inside the temple

The entrance to the building is made through a Gothic door carried out by a workshop different from the one that made the east end. Inside the temple, we perfectly see the extension that was made in the 16th century. Preserving the medieval east end and the chancel, the main body of the nave was raised with two sections covered with good tierceron vaults. The web spandrels are decorated with Renaissance grisaille paintings, in which saints, apostles, evangelists and characters of the Old Testament appear.

The Otazu-Guevara chapel

The possible promoters of this extension, the Otazu-Guevara family, built a funeral chapel for themselves on the north wall of the church. The entrance arch still has Gothic elements, while the paintings that cover the vaults are in Renaissance style. Until the recent renovations, the triptych of Saint Sebastian was in this chapel, a jewel of the mid-16th century that has few parallels in the province. In the centre, we see a sculpture of the Saint, while the four paintings of the doors describe the most important moments of his hagiography

The sacristy

A century later, in the 17th century, the sacristy was added, which today is covered by the apse in its northern area. Converted into a baptistery, it still preserves the magnificent vault made by Pedro de la Cuesta that connects perfectly with the Late Gothic chapel of the Otazu-Guevara family.

The altarpice

The main altarpiece, which is today in the aforementioned chapel, was in the east end of the church until a few decades ago. It is a simple work from the 17th century, formed by three horizontal and three vertical sections, whose gilding finished almost at the end of the 18th century. In the first panel, flanking the tabernacle, Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist appear; in the second, the carving of the Virgin Mary is presented, titular figure of the temple, accompanied by Saint Joachim and Saint Joseph; finally, in the upper panel, we find the effigies of Saint Dominic and Saint Francis, with the scene of the Calvary in the central part.

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Photo credits:

Current photographs: © Alava Medieval / Erdi Aroko Araba

Old photographs: Archive of the Historical Territory of Álava

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