The small city of Mondoñedo is located in the province of Galicia in northwest Spain. It lies along the so-called Northern Pilgrim Way, of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) (1). Although, it is now a relatively small town of about 4,000 people – the population has been declining since the nineteenth century – it was once a mediaeval city of great historical importance.

The central square is dominated by a large Cathedral Church which dates from the early thirteenth century. Construction of the church began in 1219 under the first Bishop, San Martín. It is worth remembering that this was at the time of the crusades, just 15 years after the sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, and at the time of the Fifth Crusade which failed to recapture Jerusalem. It was also at the time of the so-called Reconquest of Spain, when large areas of southern Spain were being recaptured from the Moors by Christian states. Indeed, by the time of the church was consecrated in 1248, most of Iberian Peninsula – apart from a small territory of Granada in the south – was under Christian control.

So against this background, it is interesting to look at the 14th century murals or frescos, in the Central nave of the  Cathedral, which were only found when the choir was removed from the central nave. They are said to reflect some aspects of St Peter’s life and the Slaughter of the Innocents and the Flight from Egypt.

Another interesting feature of Mondoñedo cathedral is a statue called the English Madonna – Nuestra Señora la Inglesa – which is located in the sanctuary of the Blessed Sacrament. The Madonna was rescued from St Paul’s Cathedral by an Englishman nobleman called John Dutton during during the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1536 to 1541). John Dutton settled in the town of Viveiro, Galicia and brought many wooden images from English (catholic) churches to Spain. Between 1533 and 1675, thousands of Catholics fled England and moved to Spain, mainly in the north(2). One wonders how easily these exiles settled into Spainish society at the time, and what influence they had.

The Cathedral boasts an attractive  stained glass rose window, dating from the 16th Century.

There are some striking reliefs on the outside of the cathedral. I am not sure who is depicted in this work (below), perhaps one of the founding bishops?

Links

1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-adv/advertisers/turespana/landing_page/1365_northern-way.pdf
2. http://reginamag.com/the-english-catholic-exiles/