Church of San Cipriano, Toledo facts for kids
The Church of San Cipriano is an old church found in the city of Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. It was first built a very long time ago, in the Middle Ages. Most of the church was rebuilt in the 1600s, but its ancient tower remained.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's History
Early Days and Ancient Roots
The Church of San Cipriano was first mentioned as a church in 1125. This was about 40 years after the Reconquista, a time when Christian kingdoms took back control of Spain from Muslim rule. At that time, the church followed the Latin Rite, which was the main way of worship for Christians in Europe, different from the Mozarabic Rite that was common in Spain during Muslim rule.
Some people believe that the church might have started as a mosque, which is a Muslim place of worship. This idea comes from how the building is laid out and because it had a courtyard that was later used as a cemetery.
The Unique Tower
The church has a very old tower that is special because it shows Umayyad architecture. This style comes from a powerful Islamic empire that ruled parts of Spain long ago. The tower has a square base and is built with strong stone. Each side of the tower has a pointed arch, decorated with a Moorish panel, and its corners are made of brick. When the church was rebuilt, this old tower, which used to stand alone, was made part of the new building.
Rebuilding the Church
Between 1612 and 1613, the Church of San Cipriano was rebuilt. The original building was in very bad shape and had to be torn down, except for the old tower. The new design was created by Juan de Orduña, and the building work was done by Juan Bautista Monegro. A wealthy church official named Don Carlos Venero y Leyba paid for the rebuilding.
The new church was made much bigger. It got a longer main chapel and two new rooms called sacristies, which are used to store church items and for priests to prepare. Two new chapels were also added at the front of the church. In 1662, a special room was built off the main chapel. This room was dedicated to the Virgin of Hope of Macarena and had beautiful altars and decorations.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Cipriano (Toledo) para niños
