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The church is located between two important
streets in the old part of the town, Ruavieja and Mayor
street. Its origins are related to a chapel that stood next
to the church, dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Antigua.
This oratory or church was founded
by Alfonso VII, the Emperor, King of Castile, who donated
it to the Order of the Saint Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
The church of Santa María is
made of ashlaring. It has a basilica-shape ground floor,
with three naves, each with three sections, transept crossing
and triple chancel connected to the rectangular central
apse, and octogonal secondary apses of five piers. The oldest
part of the church coincides with the last three sections,
which were built in Gothic style at the end of the 12 C
and 13 C. In the 15 and 16 C, the transept crossing was
rebuilt, as well as the chancel, with fascicle-shaped pilasters
and pointed archs that support rib and terceron vaults.
Finally, in the 18 C, some improvements were carried out
in order to reinforce the structured inner elements so that
the building could support the concentrated load of the
exterior spired tower. These improvements included an interior
cupola, angular piers, discharging archs and the four chapels
located at the corners of the transept crossing.
The steeple, built in the 13 C, is
the most characteristic and most noted element of the church.
It consists of an octogonal lantern over squinchs that support
the slender octogonal spired arrow which is divided by a
group of friezes, imposts...The lower part has on its eight
sides projecting elements as a kind of dormers with pointed
windows. The exterior girdles are delicately decorated.
The tower of the church stands on
the last section of the Gospel side. It has a rectangular
ground plan and a elevation of four storeys that become
increasingly smaller. It is surmounted by a cylindrical-barrel
vault.
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