Portico de la Gloria: Cathedral of Santiago Masterpiece
Portico de la Gloria: A Romanesque Masterpiece
The Portico de la Gloria is a construction based on three arches, the central one being the highest. Its iconography is based on the Apocalypse of St. John. The tympanum in the great central arch features Christ in Majesty surrounded by the Tetramorph. In addition, there are a series of angels with instruments of the Passion: the column, the cross, the crown of thorns, the four nails and the spear, a parchment (Pilate’s sentence), a pitcher (washing of hands), a sponge, and a scroll that probably read “REGNAVIT INRI”.
Evangelists and Elders
Surrounding the Evangelists are a multitude of smaller characters representing the 12 tribes of Israel and the celestial Jerusalem. Above, the 24 elders of the archivolts appear with musical instruments, as described in Revelation. These figures display lifelike mobility. The elderly musicians are even foreshortened, with their heads turned upwards to look at each other.
Prophets, Apostles, and the Tree of Jesse
If the tympanum represents the celestial Jerusalem, the link with the earth is joined in the column statues representing the great prophets and apostles of the Old and New Testaments (Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John, etc.). The great central tympanum described above is supported by a mullion. It begins as a marble column with the Tree of Jesse, from Adam to Mary, and continues with Saint James in the central column of the Trinity.
The tympanum strikingly features a seated statue of the Apostle Saint James, as a patron, welcoming the pilgrims. The small statue on the back of the mullion has always been associated with Master Mateo kneeling, facing the interior of the temple.
Lateral Arches: Paradise, Hell, and Judgment
The two lateral arches, now without tympana (although it is believed they may have had them), feature figures with scenes from Paradise, Adam and Eve, and the captivity of the tribes of Israel. The other arch presents expressive scenes of Doomsday and Hell.
This monumental work, created as the western entrance of the Cathedral, is one of the greatest monuments of the medieval world and a paradigm of the evolution during the second half of the 12th century from Romanesque to the naturalism of Gothic art.
Master Mateo’s Workshop
It is clear that such a great work could not have been performed by a single man, but by a workshop led by Master Mateo himself. Quality differences are perceived in many of its parts. While the Pantocrator and the figures of the column statues are always attributed to the master hand of Mateo, the angels and evangelists of the tympanum seem to be the work of disciples of the workshop.
Additional Information
- Location: Western portico of the Cathedral of Santiago.
- Chronology: 1168-1188.
- Material: Granite and marble.
- Technique: Carved.