Iglesia de Santa Maria la Real, Sanguesa

The most important Romanesque façade in Navarra, with a varied iconography that will make you spend a good time looking at the wide catalog of characters that are represented. And inside is the Virgin of Rocamador, one of the best Gothic Marian images in Navarra.

Beautiful impressive Romanesque door. It has very well preserved parts. Faces with expression. From the end of the 12th century. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Alfonso "el Batallador", King of Navarre and Aragon, after founding the town of Sangüesa la Nueva in 1122, raised the need to build a church in this new town. This was built next to the bridge that allows you to cross the Aragon River, the church being a strategic location in the defense of the town from the 14th century. Internally it has a construction that follows the model of the Cathedral of Jaca. This church has a Romanesque plan with three naves without a marked transept and a triple apse with semicircular apses. It was at the end of the 13th century when the enormous dome of this church was erected. Since January 17, 1889, this church has been listed as a National Monument.

Above all, the magnificent cover that represents the final judgment stands out (currently protected by a metal structure, which does not hinder its contemplation). The three apses also have interesting sculptural elements and it is worth visiting the interior. Guided tours are made with a simple montage of light and sound in which they narrate the history of the main altarpieces and other pieces of the interior.

One of the reasons why you should not miss visiting Sangüesa is because of the Romanesque Church of Santa María La Real. The great jewel of this town is this temple, of which its marvelous doorway, from the end of the 12th century, stands out. This true stone altarpiece presents a variegated set of elements. To carry it out, two great masters intervened in it: the one from San Juan de la Peña who works on the upper part and Leodegarius, to whom the lower part is attributed. In the upper gallery, dedicated to heaven, Christ appears surrounded by the symbols of the evangelists, Tetramorphs, accompanied by two angels and the twelve Apostles. The lower part is dedicated to the Last Judgment, with Christ judging men on the tympanum in the presence of the Apostles and the Virgin as intercessor. In the archivolts that frame the tympanum, a series of sculptures are made that represent the entire medieval society: warriors, clergymen, pilgrims, musicians, artisans, and all the vices and virtues are also reflected. Inside, we can clearly see, due to its construction in different stages over several centuries, the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. The first data on the church date back to 1131, the year in which Alfonso I the Battler donated his palace to the Order of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, so that they could build the church of the new town on the same site. The three apses of the chancel would date from this period. At the end of the 13th century, on the transept, the monumental octagonal dome was raised, placing the crenellated tower on it in the 14th century as a strategic position for the defense of the town. The tower constitutes a very visual element from any point of the exterior. In the 14th century, the church underwent the first expansion with what was then the Royal Chapel, now known as the Chapel of San Miguel. Work on the church was completed in the 16th century with the chapel of La Piedad and the choir that were built at the foot of it.