The Lost Facade at the End of the Way of St. James

Discover some of the lesser known aspects of the Portico of Glory, which complete the iconographic program of this unique element.

By The Catedral de Santiago Foundation

Fundación Catedral de Santiago

Back of Portico of Glory (1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The Portico of Glory is much more than the triple arcade at its core.

It is a sacred space at the end of the largest nave in the cathedral. With a great sense of theater, it develops a complex iconographic program.

This exhibition will reveal its lesser known aspects, such as the counterfacade, the lost facade, and the gallery, where the discourse of the Portico of Glory concludes.

Counterfacade
The communicative nature of the sacred space of the Portico of Glory leads us to observe the counterfacade.

Ordo Prophetarum, The counter facade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The changes that came with the reforms and demolitions during the Baroque restorations have resulted in a complex interpretation, and there are various hypotheses regarding the identification of the characters represented on the counterfacade. What is known is that they complement the discourse of the Portico of Glory as a whole.

John the Baptist, The counter facade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The series of figures represented on the counterfacade, as well as in the Portico as a whole, will have been influenced by liturgical scenes from other cathedrals of the period. The text of Ordo Prophetarum, or Procession of the Prophets, has made it possible to identify, among others, the column statues of the counterfacade.

Ordo Prophetarum, The counter facade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

Among the characters duly identified by the Agnus Dei is John the Baptist. On the other side, on one side of the southern portal, according to the Ordo Prophetarum, is the poet Virgil, who had anticipated the Second Coming.

The Sybil, The counter facade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

On the side of the northern portal is a representation of the Erythraean Sibyl, followed by the Queen of Sheba, in this case related to the image of Solomon situated on the exterior portal of the portico.

Balaam The counter facade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

Finally, at either end, the sequence of characters continues on the pillars of the portico: prophets to the north, and apostles to the south. In this sense, here, respectively, are Balaam and Jude the Apostle.

Angels from the counter façade, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

Above these figures, on the upper level, angels and seraphim worship and adore the image of Christ in Majesty.

The disappeared façade at the end of the Camino (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The Great Lost Facade

The Portico of Glory (Pórtico de la Gloria) concluded with an open-air facade. However, a decision was made by the canonry in the 16th century to erect doors and close the cathedral.

Drawing José Vega y Verdugo (1656-1657) Archivo de la Catedral (1656-1657) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

This first modification occurred between 1520 and 1521 and affected the interior of the portal. A series of column statues were removed, and, therefore, part of the narrative making up the discourse of the portico was also broken up.

At that time, the large central arch which provided access to the portico from the outside also disappeared and was replaced by a double door with a curved pediment.

Finally, between 1738 and 1750, the current Baroque facade by Fernando de Casas was built, replacing Mateo's.

The disappeared façade at the end of the Camino (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

However, some elements of the lost exterior facade are preserved in the Cathedral Museum (Museo Catedral de Santiago). These include a large rosette that may have belonged to one of the side doors.

Statues of David and Solomon (1188) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

It also holds some of the pieces that made up the sculptural elements of the portal.

The Cathedral Museum preserves the images of Kings David and Solomon, as well as an enigmatic column statue, recovered in 2016, which probably depicts a character from the Old Testament, completing the iconographic discourse of the sacred space of the Portico of Glory.

Tribune of Portico of Glory (1168-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The Gallery of the Portico of Glory

The story of Revelation, interpreted by Master Mateo, reaches its conclusion with the cathedral's gallery, located exactly above the Portico of Glory.

Angels, The Tribune, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

Positioned in the central nave and facing away from the altar, there is a large oculus just in front of the space that the large rosette would have occupied, from the lost medieval facade.

Along with two further lobed apertures, the open bays in the walls allow light to enter, permanently illuminating the sacred space.

In the gallery, the starts of the arches that make up the vault are held up by angels carrying incense burners.

Keystone, The Tribune, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

As told in Revelation: "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

Therefore, from this final fragment, Master Mateo tops the vault with a keystone with the image of Agnus Dei, or the Lamb of God.

The tribune, Portico of Glory (ca. 1188-1211) by Master MateoThe Catedral de Santiago Foundation

The gallery of the portico allows us to acknowledge the interior of the cathedral and its sculptural elements from a global perspective.

It also allows us to imagine and understand how the lost medieval facade would have looked and how it would have fitted in the Baroque style.

Credits: Story

An initiative by the Catedral de Santiago Foundation (Fundación Catedral de Santiago).

Director: Ramón Yzquierdo Peiró
Texts: Sara María Abal Filgueira, Marina de la Vega Adán, Mariana Oliva García.
Photography: Catedral de Santiago Foundation—Denís E. F.

The restoration of the Portico of Glory has been made possible thanks to the patronage of the Barrié Foundation (Fundación Barrié).

www.museocatedraldesantiago.es

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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