San Miguel, Mota del Cuervo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Michael's Church |
|
|---|---|
| Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel | |
|
Iglesia de San Miguel
|
|
 |
|
| 39°29′55″N 2°52′15″W / 39.4987°N 2.8707°W | |
| Location | Mota del Cuervo, Cuenca |
| Country | Spain |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 15th century |
| Dedication | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Toledo |
| Diocese | Cuenca |
St. Michael's Church, known in Spanish as Iglesia de San Miguel, is a Catholic church found in Mota del Cuervo, Spain. It is part of the Diocese of Cuenca. This historic building is located on Ramón y Cajal Baja Street. In 1990, it was recognized as a Bien de Interés Cultural, which means it's a very important cultural site.
Contents
Exploring the Church's Design
The building of St. Michael's Church started a long time ago, in the late 1400s. Work continued through the 1500s and 1600s. Records from 1494 show that the Order of Santiago, a special group, helped with its construction.
Inside the Church
The church has a main hall with three long sections called naves. Each of these sections has three smaller areas, like aisles. At the end of the church, there's a rounded part called an apse with two small chapels. There is also a choir area and a tall bell tower.
The inside walls are simply painted white. Behind the main altar, there is a special screen called a reredos. It features a statue of Saint Michael the Archangel with a figure representing evil. In the 1500s, there was a golden altarpiece here. It had a blue background and statues in small spaces, but it is now gone.
Outside the Church
The outside of the church is built with carefully cut stone blocks called ashlar. You can see rectangular windows in the middle part and round windows at the back. The ceilings inside the church are covered with different types of arched roofs. These include ribbed vaults, sail vaults, and groined vaults.
The choir area is raised up and has a porch with three arches. The middle arch is wider and has a cool rope-like design. This design shows the influence of a style from the 1400s called Levantine Gothic. The wooden ceiling, known as an alfarje, is also very interesting to see.
Special Chapels
The church has several smaller chapels. These include the Chapel of Baptism, which has a low, curved ceiling. The Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament has a many-sided shape and is also made of cut stone. Other chapels are the Chapel of Solitude, the Chapel of Jesus the Nazarene, and the Chapel of the Christ at the Column.
The Church Entrances
The north entrance of the church is built in a fancy style called Plateresque. It has two large supports called buttresses. The doorway is a rounded arch with pairs of Corinthian columns on each side. Above the door, there are two carved symbols of the Order of Santiago. These symbols show that the Order helped build the church and settle the area.
The south entrance is much simpler. It is built in the Doric style with a triangular top part called a pediment. It also has round decorations typical of the Herrerian style.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Miguel (Mota del Cuervo) para niños
- Catholic Church in Spain
