Santa María Magdalena, Zaragoza facts for kids
The Santa María Magdalena church is a beautiful old building in Zaragoza, Spain. It was built a long time ago, in the 1300s. This church is famous for its special design style called Mudéjar. This style mixes Christian and Islamic art.
Contents
History of the Church
When was Santa María Magdalena Church built?
The church of Santa María Magdalena has a very long history. It was first mentioned in old records in 1126. Back then, it was a different building. It was built in a style called Romanesque. This means it had thick walls and round arches.
About 200 years later, in the 1300s, the church was rebuilt. This new building is the one we see today. Inside, the church was updated in the 1600s and 1700s. During these changes, the main entrance was even moved. But the original square tower, made of brick, stayed the same. This tower looks a lot like other Mudéjar towers in a city called Teruel.
What Does the Church Look Like?
Church Design and Layout
The church is shaped like a Latin cross if you look at it from above. It has one main hallway, called a nave. The ceiling of the nave has special curved arches called cross-vaults. At the end of the church, there is a rounded or many-sided section called an apse. Along the sides of the church, there are small chapels. These chapels are built between strong supports on the outside walls, called buttresses.
Outside Decorations
The lower part of the apse on the outside has arches with mixed styles. These might have been inspired by the famous Aljafería Palace. Above these arches, there are twenty decorative pointed arches. You can also see crosses that form square patterns. The bell tower is very tall and has four main sections. It is decorated with beautiful white and green tiles.
Inside the Church
The main altar inside the church was made in the 1700s. It was created by an artist named José Ramirez de Arellano. He also made sculptures for another important church, the Holy Chapel of the Pillar. Another beautiful feature inside is a golden statue of the Immaculate. This statue is also from the Baroque period, which was a time of very fancy and detailed art.
See also
- List of Bienes de Interés Cultural in the Province of Zaragoza
- Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon — World Heritage Sites
