Tomb of Bishop Diego de Avellaneda

In 1536, Vigarny, already in the last period of his life and living in Toledo, signs with the bishop of Tuy, Diego de Avellaneda, a contract stating him to make a pair of funerary monuments, one for the burial of the bishop and the other devoted to his father's memory. With too many orders, Vigarny shared this work, according to testimonies in documents. In 1539, Diego Maestrique committed to make part of the imagery and is known that once Vigarny dead, Juan Gomez finished them. Both sepulchers were installed in the Hieronymite monastery of Espeja (Soria) but the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizabal chose different paths for both of them. The first one completely went to the National Museum of Sculpture, being rebuilt in the chapel of the Colegio de San Gregorio; the second one, was moved to Alcala de Henares and was unfortunately fragmented and dispersed. Efforts have been made in these last years to buy the biggest part of the structure and its figures. An example of the latter is the beautiful group of the Virgin with the Child that is shown in the room, an example of exquisite taste, grace and good technique. The influence of Siloe is marked in the ideal faces, the monumental figures and a graceful composition.