Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidoro of León

Description

The foundation of the Royal Collegiate Church of San Isidoro de León is linked to the rise of the Kingdom of León in the 11th century, specifically to the reign of Fernando I and Sancha. It was these monarchs who in 1063 promoted the arrival of the relics of San Isidoro from Seville, turning the temple, from that moment on, into an important pilgrimage center. During the 11th and 12th centuries the construction of the temple took place (Utrero and Murillo, 2014), the cloister and the Pantheon of the Kings, whose decoration was commissioned by their daughter Urraca. These frescoes have varied decorative motifs, the agricultural cycle being one of the most striking. With the passage of time the building underwent changes, however, these have not altered its Romanesque core. During the Middle Ages it housed an outstanding scriptorium and between the 15th and 18th centuries an important library was built (García Martínez, 2005).

Bibliography

• GARCÍA MARTÍNEZ, Aida (2005): "Aproximación crítica a la historiografía de San Isidoro de León", nº 4, Estudios Humanísticos. Historia, pp. 53-93.
• UTRERO, María Ángeles y MURILLO, José Ignacio (2014): "San Isidoro de León. Construcción y reconstrucción de una basílica románica", nº 11, Arqueología de la Arquitectura, pp. 1-53.