FUNDACIÓN COLEGIO Nª Sª DE LA ANTIGUA.

of the Consecration of the Church of the College of Nª Sª de la Antigua
-College PP. Piarists-

Friday 2nd of August

 19:00 Inauguration of the act

 7:30 pm Round table: ” The Historical and Artistic Importance of the Building of Nosa Señora da Antiga e or social value two Bens Patrimoniais:”

• -D Manuel Chaín. Architect and Deputy Director General of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage
• -Dª Rosana Guerra García, Dra Architect
• -Dª Luisa Serrano García. Architect
• -Dª Mª Dolores Lago Arce. Historian and Restaurateur

 21:15 Concert in the Church of the School interpreted by the pianist Ernesto Maseda González

Saturday, August 3

 11: 00-12: 30 open day

 12: 30-13: 00 Conference “The College of Monforte a Renaissance intuition of Cardinal Rodrigo de Castro” by Father Francisco Javier Agudo Manager of the Foundation.

 13:00 Concert in the Church performed by Don Manuel Randulfe Jácome, Director of the Professional Conservatory of Music “Adagio”

Sunday, August 4

 12:00 Celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of Nª Sª de la Antigua, presided by D. Alfonso Carrasco Rouco, Bishop of Lugo.

Today they begin their pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago de Invierno about 100 students of 3rd ESO from the Piarist schools of Santander, Oviedo, Villacarriedo, Monforte and Valencia.

Han escogido Monforte de Lemo They have chosen Monforte de Lemos as a starting point. At the same time, many more go on the French road and others for the Portuguese, with the intention of joining everyone in Santiago de Compostela. Cheers guys.

The Manager of the Foundation Our Lady of Antigua School
(School PP. Escolapios)

Father Francisco Javier Agudo García Sch. P.

He is pleased to invite you
to the commemorative act of the IV Centenary of the Consecration
of the Church Our Lady of Antigua,
which took place on August 4, 1619.

The inaugural act will take place next Friday, August 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hall of Acts of the school.

This act will begin with a round table with the intervention of Mr. Manuel Chaín Architect and Deputy Director General of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property of the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Rosana Guerra Pestonit, Dra. Architect, Luisa Serrano Garcìa. Architect and M. Dolores Lago Arce. Historian and Restorer, editors of the Documentary Study for the Declaration of Cultural Interest of the School of Our Lady of Antigua (Monforte de Lemos) and Marìa del Mar Bòveda Lòpez, titled in CC. of Education, Patrimonial Education specialist and in the value enhancement of Heritage. Responsible for the study of the social value of the College of Our Lady of Antigua (Monforte de Lemos)

In the text called “Brief relation of the festivities that the college of the Society of Jesus of Monforte made in the consecration of the new church …” The following is read when referring to the Church: “… it came out so perfect and finished in everything that in order to paint themselves outside, a particular relationship is needed and longer than that of the festivities that they made in their consecration. “

Without pretending to fill many pages in his description, Miguel Angel Feal Antelo, in his work on the College of Nª Sª de la Antigua describes the Church thus:
“It is of the so-called Jesuit style, inspired by the Gesu of Rome, the mother church of the Jesuits. Its plant is a Latin cross with little developed arms.
The central nave, measuring 33.80 x 9.25 meters, with a half-barrel vault, adorned with a profusion of caissons. On it open some windows to leave free space to the windows that give way to light. The height of this central nave is 20.80 meters.

The presbytery, rectangular in shape, is 9.25 meters wide and 6.20 meters deep, rising 0.75 meters above the pavement of the Church. The lateral naves, of 22.70 x 5.20 meters, with closed upper gallery and interconnected chapels, open to the central nave through three arches flanked by composite pilasters, with Corinthian capitals. On the cruise stands out a half-orange dome, topped with a beautiful lantern with six large windows. The height of the dome is 36 meters and its diameter is 10 meters. The church was completed by Simon de Monasterio in the year 1619.

The dome and the skylight or lantern suffered deterioration with the passage of time, and especially, because of the Lisbon earthquake of 1753. In 1786 the dome of the dome that threatened ruin was repaired, and in 1841 it was also repaired. cupulin

The same happens with the two towers, built by Simón de Monasterio, which stand at the two ends of the church’s head as if guarding the main chapel, and which are absorbed by the mass of the building. Its proportions must have been somewhat diminished with respect to the primitive traces. Of two bodies, with the second decreasing, divided by a balustrade that is repeated in the last body, separating it from the half orange that finishes them, they were imitated then incorporating them to the façade inside an Italianate type that served as model to all Galician seventeenth century. His model is the Valladolid and Escurialense, in which the round columns of the Renaissance were simplified daringly in pilasters or vertical strips. Its volumes, which are somewhat heavy here, are only broken by the single semicircular arch of their smooth faces, without the beautiful faces of recessed and protruding casetons of their prototype. “

It seems that Francisco de Moure began the altarpiece around 1625. When he died, an inventory of the pieces made was made in front of his testament, since the altarpiece was unfinished. This is the meaning of the text that we put below and that we collect from a study done by Fernando Pérez Rodríguez in “Cuadernos de estudios gallegos”:

-On the recognition made on July 19, 1639 it is necessary to highlight some sections that have not received the attention deserved so far. I am referring to those sculptural pieces, some finished and others in the execution phase, that were not seated in the altarpiece when our sculptor died, namely:

“Iten dos marcos con sus estípites y una cornixa y frontispicios y sus pirámides. Doce florones ocho grandes y los demás pequeños, siete pirámides. Ocho canecillos, ocho cartelas del cornisamento, dos términos que sobraron de pedestal de abajo del Retablo, una pilastra sin vasa ni capitel. Siete alas pequeñas y grandes para angeles. Un corazón, un obalo que se hacia para dentro de la Custodia. Un tronco comenzado a desabastar para los angeles de la Coronación de la Virgen nuestra Señora. Unos pedazos de nuebecillas, pedestalcillos, piezas sueltas. Una figura de Habraam y dos virtudes, y un niño de la pasión con su cruz»

In this regard it is interesting to investigate the fate of these pieces. In the case of some it is not difficult to guess, because the figure of Abraham and the two virtues are located in the custody, and the angels of the Coronation of the Virgin were finished and placed in their place. About who was the master of sculpture who made the pending work and, therefore, the completion of the third body and auction of the altarpiece there is no doubt as the experts certify that “despues de la muerte del dicho Francisco de Moure se gastaron algunos pedaços de madera que algunos estavan desbastados para la obra que el Padre Mato acavo de hazer»-

(The texts in Spanish are preserved because they are the originals of the documentation and are in old Castilian.)

Thanks to Don Rodrigo de Castro accompanying his brothers Don Pedro de Castro in Europe, and Don Fernando Ruiz de Castro, future IV Conde de Lemos, in his missions, between 1548 and 1558, he added to his brilliant humanistic studies in Salamanca, the illustration that emerged from the main foci of Europe.

Years later, when Don Rodrigo arrived in Seville as archbishop, he found that the Jesuits had been established in the city for 30 years with great acceptance. He became very intimate with them and favored them in his diocese. There he develops a deep devotion to “Our Lady of Antigua”, in whose image the Monfortino College will advo- cate. In 1585 or 1586 the idea arises to him to realize in his earth a school and to take advantage of it for own burial and of his. He did not think of it before, since in 1584 he still paid for the works of the convent of San Antonio as a family pantheon, and so the Provincial Jesuit Villalba, in the letter he addresses to the General on September 27, 1586, informs of the will of the Cardinal , who takes for granted the foundation of a school in Monforte de Lemos.

Like other illustrious prelates, he planned to establish in him not only ecclesiastical teachings, but rather of a general nature that could be convenient for many, creating several chairs of Latin, art and morals, as well as a school for children of first letters. Don Rodrigo would entrust his purpose to the Sevillian Jesuit community, he would speak with the Jesuit provincial Bartolomé Pérez de Nuevos; for them he was put in dealings with the provincial of Castilla Gil González Dávila and with Claudio Aquaviva, the General of the Society of Jesus. We know that letters went from Seville to Madrid, from Madrid to Rome and from Rome to Seville until the project matured enough to put it into action.

Therefore, we can conclude that in 1585 or 1586 the idea that would give birth to our magnificent school was forged.

In a text of a few folios called “Brief relation of the festivities that the college of the Society of Jesus of Monforte made in the consecration of the new church of Our Lady of Antigua, on August 4, 1619.” next

“At the end of July, it was Our Lord served the church that so long ago, with so much care and cost, that was manufacturing, was finished, 11 and went so perfect and finished in everything that to be painted outside needed a particular and longer relationship that of the festivities that in their consecration they did. Suffice it to say now of her that her beauty moved the Lords Counts of Lemos12 [a] to take charge of making her consecrate, requesting it to Mr. D. Alonso López Gallo, 13 bishop of Lugo. To which his lordship went willingly, as well as requested by His Excellency as for being a thing of the Company, to which in everything he shows himself very fond. They threw the party for August 4th. Word spread throughout the kingdom and, thus, many and very lucid people from Santiago, from Orense and its preserves, from Monterrey and its valley, from Lugo and all its bishopric. “

For those who have stopped meditating on the dates, they will have realized that we are on anniversary. On August 4 we celebrate the four hundred years of the consecration of the church and the 100th anniversary of the completion of the works of the school in its current state.

In following entries on this page we will give an account of the activities programmed by the Foundation Colegio Nª Sª de la Antigua and by the Colegio PP. Piarists.

María Rivo Vázquez, in his work on the façade of the School of the Company, with the guarantee of the Universidade of Santiago of Compostela, affirm that: ?Although of unquestionable sustrato clasicista herreriano, the façade eclesial of the School of Monforte is revestida of a manierismo that, without desbocarse, sobrepasa the field strictly ornamental of almohadillados, tips of diamond and forms enrolladas. The split of the frontón, the brusca finalización of the cornice of the cover and, especially, the inexacta superposición of them bear merman the structural clarity typical of the façades previñolescas. Like this pues, could aventurar the hypothesis of an initial design controlled essentially by Vermondo Subtracts, author more italianizante and next to the manierismo that Ruiz.

In the changes that deduce of the fold of conditions perhaps had a paper highlighted Juan of Tolosa. In fact the fault of correspondence between them bear of the first and second body could owe, more that to a conscious licence proper of the manierismo, to a desajuste fruit of modifications entered by a least expert teacher, such time Tolosa. Besides, the sustitución of the corintio by dórico and jónico and the elimination of a óculo that owed to occupy a central place, suggest a subtle deviation to an aesthetics more herreriana from solutions italianizantes.

A path that well could go of Subtract to Tolosa. In any case, does not fit doubt that Serlio and Vignola are the key sources of the façade. The footprint of the façade of the church of the School of the Cardinal in the architecture gallega is practically irrelevant. Bonet Mentions emulaciones of his friso with metopas of circles gallonados in the churches of Monfero, Oseira, Saint Vicente of the Pino of Monforte and Saint Bartolomé of Pontevedra, this last also calm jesuítica; and go in Oseiray Saint Vicente the presence of other architectural elements of the School Monfortino, although worse articulated. Like this pues, treat of an of the few samples of classicism herreriano in Galicia that, however, seems to have been “temperada” to conciliate manierismo and classicism, romanismo and herrerianismo, and, in definite, adapt to circumstances, people and places -and Saint Ignacio prescribed to his supporters- inside an Order cuya structure jerárquica, however, never left to be roman centrical.?

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The now known data about Juan Fernández of Bustamante allow us reconsider his professional path, as tracista of works. It has documented his intervention in Villagarcía of Fields, Salamanca (primitive School), Oviedo, Palencia, Segovia, School of Nª Sª of the Ancient in Monforte of Lemos, Medina of the Field (School of Saint Pedro and Saint Pablo) and Autillo of Fields, but in none has considered him like his tracista, but so alone like sobrestante, veedor, tasador, expert or administrator.

Juan Fernández of Bustamante is born to 1560 in Villamayor of Treviño (Burgos)12 and ingresa in 1577 in the School jesuita of Burgos, in which remains until his course to the School salmantino, in which presumably will know to the father Andrés Ruiz. Seem that the training of the jesuita burgalés to the shadow of Andrés Ruiz is more that likely. The main part of the works in which Juan Fernández of Bustamante appears documented are to charge of Andrés Ruiz of the one who doña Catalina of Zúñiga, nephew of the founder of the School of Monforte of Lemos, said: ?teacher zorro and knows more of architecture of cuantos there is in the Company?. It describes him in 1584 like man ?of buen wit, trial, prudence, quite a lot of experience, flemático, melancholic. It has talent for architecto?.

To Juan Fernández of Bustamante documents him taking part between 1584 and 1590 in the works of the Houses of the Company of Salamanca, Segovia, Palencia and, after dying Andrés Ruiz (1596), directing the work of Monforte of Lemos beside Juan of Tolosa, remaining he only ahead of the same to the death of this (1600).

In Monforte, Fernández of Bustamante realizes the valuation of all the built in the School in the year 1600, figurando then like Main Teacher after the demise of Juan of Tolosa and with agreement to them trace and conditions that had been given by Andrés Ruiz and Veremondo Subtracts in 1594 to the Cardinal Rodrigo of Castrate.

Seem that it is to initiative of Fernández of Bustamante the use of the capitel corintio that it is the used in the interior of the Church of the School of Nª Sª of the Ancient of Monforte of Lemos (Lugo) that attributed to the hand of the cantero Rozadilla. The same style of capiteles can see in the church of Santa Cruz of Medina of Rioseco, of Lantadilla, in Our Sir of the Street (Palencia), in the interior of the church colegial of Segovia, and in the Cathedral of Valladolid under the direction of Fernández of Bustamante.

The considerable dimensions of the School that thought build in Monforte of Lemos did not allow that the helmet amurallado of the villa could receive it in his interior, by what decides build it in the suburb, in the vicinities of the way that drives to the Chapel of Saint Lázaro, a place occupied by huertas and vineyards that was necessary to buy. During the years 1591-92 begin the acquisitions of the terrains, taking part as intermediario the Earl D. Fernando Ruiz of Castro.

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The extension purchased rondaba the nine hectares and average, establishing his limits the river Cabe, the brook of Saint Lázaro, communal terrains and particular properties his big importance has the election of the solar, transcendental is the confección of them trace and conditions and, related directly with this, the designación of the proyectistas. In spite of the absence of data that esclarezcan this phase, fits to think that it was the Cardinal, jealous founder and financiador, the one who, far of desentenderse of such labor, takes part in them trace and conditions, choosing concienzudamente to the architects and avoiding that nothing neither anybody altered his intentions.

In 1594 the arrival of the Cardinal to Monforte takes place to ends of July or
principles of August. Contemplating the location of his work, decides the projection of
a street of 30 feet of width that communicate directly with the villa. To ends of
1595 already is «almost finished and comes to remain the school the half more near, and she is so beautiful that suffices for ennoblecer a place».

By what have already the reason and the date of the planteamiento and the building of the street of the cardinal, that if it is not very long, himself that has converted in the axis of the social life of Monforte.