18-THE CHURCH OF SANTA CATALINA OF ALÍA

Geoparque Villuercas > CULTURAL SITES > 18-THE CHURCH OF SANTA CATALINA OF ALÍA

In the village of Alía stands what is probably the finest manifestation of Mudejar religious art of Extremadura. The Church of Santa Catalina, in effect, is a magnificent example of architecture conditioned to the lengthy process of the Reconquest in the Middle Ages. Mudejar is a unique and original style which prevailed in the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula in which the influence of the numerous master builders of Moslem origin who remained after the Reconquest is clear and visible.

The Church of Santa Catalina stands on the highest part of the village dominating the Plaza de Dos Bonillas on the spot where according to tradition there was an ancient castle. The building dates from the 15th century and its construction may have been influenced by the Hieronymites who reached Guadalupe during this period. Its dedication to Santa Catalina, the patron saint of the friars, supports this hypothesis.

One of the characteristics which make this church unique is that it has maintained its original appearance and structures practically intact. The result is one of the most spectacular Mudejar churches of the region.

As a good example of the style, in this construction stone has been used (particularly quartzite and slate) for most of the building (the walls, buttresses, pillars, and tower). Brick is used in the most decorative areas and also for the arches, windows, and entrances.

The most striking part of the church is its robust tower entirely of stone, which crowns it on the west side and which judging from certain details appears older than the main part of the building. The shape and structure of the tower suggest architectural solutions typical of fortifications, which leads us to assume that it must have been part of a walled enclosure. If this is so then local tradition is in the right. It has a large doorway which has been blocked up for centuries and three gaps which serve as a belfry. The transition of the tower to the apse, which is built of brick, is especially curious.

The outer aspect of the church is severe and austere, which contrasts with the dynamism created in the interior by the succession of side arches. The arches of the centre and between the naves are pointed while those of the sides are round. The largest of all is that giving access to the apse. The hexagonal pillars which support the arches are also of brick and bring elegance to the ensemble. These series of arches and pillars define different spaces which recall the divisions of a mosque.

The main entrance is a round arch of coloured brick. The transept of the church is of the same material; its ground plan is hexagonal albeit rather irregular. It rises above the main nave and has on its upper part several pointed arches which give the church excellent luminosity. Various alterations over time have involved the blocking up of most of these openings with the exception of two.

On the outer part of the church on one of the buttresses of the apse there is an ancient embedded sculpture of a face in addition to the granite sculpture of Santa Catalina.