Surrounded by mighty stone walls and guarded by a castle, the fortified town of Fuentidueña was established around the eleventh century in the Duero River valley, a contested frontier region between the Christian- and Muslim-ruled territories of the Iberian Peninsula. In the late twelfth century, after the definitive conquest of this region by Christian forces, Fuentidueña’s residents built the church of San Martín adjacent to a massive gate regulating visitors’ entrance into town. Featuring smoothly cut stone blocks and architectural sculptures, the apse of the church was built and decorated in the Romanesque style used throughout Christian-ruled Iberia, as well as most of western Europe, at this time. By embracing the prevailing style of western Christendom, the church’s builders conveyed Fuentidueña’s religious, political, and military allegiances to all who passed through the gate. Obtained as a long-term loan from Spain in 1957, the apse of San Martín de Fuentidueña was dismantled and reconstructed at The Cloisters to create this chapel-like gallery, which first opened to the public in 1961.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Apse from San Martín at Fuentidueña
Date:ca. 1175–1200
Geography:Made in Segovia, Castile-León, Spain
Culture:Spanish
Medium:Limestone
Dimensions:Apse interior: 30 ft. 2 in. × 24 ft. 7 in. × 27 ft. 8 in. (919.5 × 749.3 × 843.3 cm) b: (lion capital): 14 1/8 × 20 1/4 × 17 1/4 in. (35.9 × 51.4 × 43.8 cm) f: (pier with acrobat): 60 × 12 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (152.4 × 31.1 × 31.8 cm)
Classification:Sculpture-Architectural
Credit Line:Exchange Loan from the Government of Spain
Object Number:L.58.86a–f
From the church of San Martín at Fuentidueña, near Segovia
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Freeman, Margaret B. "Rebuilding: A Thumbnail Sketch." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 19, no. 10 (June 1961). pp. 290–96, fig. 1–11.
Gaya-Nuño, Juan Antonio. La arquitectura española en sus monumentos desaparecidos. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1961. pp. 149–50.
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"Apse Previewed at the Cloisters: Part of Spanish Medieval Church Reconstructed." New York Times (June 2, 1961). p. 35.
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In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
In 2023, violinist Johnny Gandelsman realized a longtime dream: performing J.S. Bach’s six Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, plus novel arrangements of the composer’s six cello suites, over a weeklong residency at The Met Cloisters.
Nancy Wu and Carol Symes discuss their preparations for a new production of The Play of Adam—the oldest medieval drama written in any language—at The Met Cloisters on December 17 and 18.
MetLiveArts Intern Karmen Wolf explores Morton Feldman's mammoth String Quartet No. 2, which the Calder Quartet will perform this fall at The Met Cloisters.
Philippe de Montebello, former Director of The Met, guides viewers through The Cloisters, pointing out Romanesque and Gothic architecture and artwork, beautiful tapestries, and the diverse species in the gardens. He outlines the history of the building and its many influences and highlights significant works of art in the collection.
The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.
