Church of Santiago (Carrión de los Condes) facts for kids

The church of Santiago is a famous stop for travelers.

The Church of Santiago is a historic church in the town of Carrión de los Condes, in the province of Palencia, Spain. It sits on the main street that is part of the famous Camino de Santiago, a popular walking path for pilgrims.

The church was built in the middle of the 12th century in a style called Romanesque. Over hundreds of years, it has been changed and repaired many times. A big fire in 1811 caused a lot of damage. Because of these changes, the church is now a mix of different building styles. Its most famous feature is the western façade (the front entrance), built around 1160. It is considered one of the best examples of Romanesque art in Spain.

A Story in Stone: The West Façade

The front entrance of the church is covered in amazing stone carvings. It has three curved stone bands, called archivolts, that arch over the doorway.

The middle archivolt is especially interesting. It is made of 24 carved stones, or voussoirs. These carvings show medieval workers, musicians, and dancers. They give us a detailed look at the clothes people wore and the tools and instruments they used long ago. The arches rest on decorated tops of columns, known as capitals.

Above the doorway, there is a wide, carved stone band called a frieze. In the center is a sculpture of Christ Pantocrator, which shows Jesus Christ as the ruler of the universe. He is seated inside an almond-shaped frame called a mandorla. Around him are the symbols of the Four Evangelists (the writers of the four Gospels): a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. This group of symbols is called the Tetramorph.

On both sides of Jesus, the twelve Apostles stand under small, fancy arches. The sculptures on the frieze look very lifelike and full of emotion. The artists carved deep into the stone, making the clothes on the figures look like real, flowing fabric.

A Look Inside

The church's interior was originally built with three long halls, or naves. Today, only one of these naves is left. Inside the church, there is also a small museum. It displays religious art from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Gallery

• 

  The church of Santiago

• 

  The western facade shows Jesus and the Apostles.

• 

  A close-up of the carvings showing different craftsmen.

• 

  Musicians and craftsmen carved in stone on the arch.

• 

  Christ Pantocrator is in the center, surrounded by the symbols of the Four Evangelists.

• 

  The interior of the church today.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de Santiago (Carrión de los Condes) para niños