As a result of my visit to Osuna this past spring, today I want to tell you about this artistic gem, a true delight for the senses.
The monument.
In short, the Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is a Catholic temple built around 1531, and today it stands as a prominent example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. In 1931, it was declared a Cultural Heritage Site.
In fact, it is a complex, the collegiate church itself and the ducal pantheon.
The work is attributed to two renowned architects: Diego de Riaño and Martín de Gaínza.
Among the artworks housed inside, there are pieces made by renowned artists such as José de Ribera, Fabrizio de Santafede, Juan de Zamora, Hernando de Esturmio, Juan de Mesa, Martínez Montañés, Roque Balduque, Duque Cornejo, and Pedro de Ribadeo.
Its history.
The church was built in the 1500s under the patronage of Juan Téllez Girón (1494-1558), 4th Count of Ureña and a great sponsor of Osuna.
It was erected on the site where the Church of the Castle was, built by King Ferdinand III the Saint after the conquest in 1239. This temple was part of the fortress that stood on the promontory overlooking the town.
According to experts, construction began from the foot toward the apse, using stone from local quarries. This stone is porous and damp, not very resistant.
During its construction, which lasted until 1539, Pope Paul III granted permission to establish a collegiate church with a chapter, through a papal bull in 1534.
The exterior of the temple.
Viewed from the outside, it has a rather sober fortress-like appearance.
The three portals at the foot correspond to the three naves. The most prominent is the central one, the ‘Puerta del Sol.’
On the sides, there are two other doors of simple design: ‘the slope door,’ which opens on the gospel side, facing the Convent of the Incarnation. The one that opens to the epistle nave may have been the last to be built, dated in 1632.
The inside.
With a rectangular hall plan featuring three naves separated by cruciform pillars, attached columns on the walls, and chapel-niches between the buttresses.
The naves are covered with saucer domes, while the side chapels are covered with ribbed vaults.
The chapels:
At the head of the collegiate church are the Main Chapel, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
On the gospel side are the chapels of the Virgin of Antigua (or Christ of the Expiration), Souls, and Saint Peter.
On the epistle side, we find the Chapel of the Virgin of the Kings with a 16th-century altarpiece, the Baptismal Chapel, and the Chapel of Saint Anne or the Duke
The Ducal Pantheon
This independent structure from the rest is located beneath the presbytery, with access possible via a steep staircase connected to the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the head of the church.
The ducal pantheon chapel:
We encounter it as soon as we descend the stairs.
One of the most beautiful monuments of Andalusian Renaissance architecture.
It also has a rectangular floor plan divided into three naves by columns with flattened arches.
The vaults are decorated with plaster coffers.
In the presbytery of the ducal pantheon:
We find a small altarpiece representing The Burial of Christ by Roque Balduque (1550-1560). On the right side, there is a panel painting from 1555 by Hernando de Esturmio, The Allegory of the Immaculate Conception. On the other side, there is a panel painting of The Annunciation from 1550 by Gerard Wytwel.
At the entrance of the chapel you should not miss…
The terracotta relief of Penitent Saint Jerome, a work by an unknown 16th-century artist.
It is located on the right side.
Under this chapel, the graves.
Here lie the burials of the ducal family. A series of niches are arranged along the walls across several rooms, with inscriptions and symbols related to death.
And before going back up…
Visit the old sacristy, now converted into a museum.
It houses an interesting collection of sculptures, reliefs, paintings, silverwork, sacred vessels, prayer books, liturgical vestments, and more.
Notable pieces include a series of four large canvases by José de Ribera ‘El Españoleto,’ commissioned by the Duke of Osuna, then Viceroy of Naples; and the sculpture of Saint Francis of Assisi, recently attributed to Juan Martínez Montañés.
Last but not least…
The entrance courtyard, true to the models of domestic architecture of the time.
It displays a strong symbolic emphasis on death through its inscriptions, frescoes, and plasterwork reliefs.
This is the starting point of the visit, a delightful space that reflects the new classical style and the humanist mindset of Andalusian noble houses.
And a curiosity to finish.
Did you know that in 2015 some scenes from the fifth season of the hit series Game of Thrones were shot in the temple? I encourage you to identify them.
As always, feel free to share and comment if you liked this post. Go ahead and visit this impressive monument and the city of Osuna will delight you!
