Representative structures of the period
The expansion of Romanesque art in present-day Spain is closely linked to the development of the Camino de Santiago and the consolidation of the Christian kingdoms in the north of the peninsula during the 11th century.
Among the most representative structures of this period, two fundamental churches stand out: the Cathedral of Jaca, begun around 1077, and the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana, built between the end of the 11th century and the beginning of the 12th.
Both are key pieces for understanding how the early Romanesque style was formed in Spain.
Although they share the same era and architectural language, each offers a distinct solution: one more linked to episcopal power and the Aragonese frontier, and the other integrated into the Cantabrian landscape and the life of a growing medieval town.
The Cathedral of Jaca: the first great Romanesque cathedral of Aragon
The construction of the Cathedral of Jaca began around 1077, at a time when the city of Jaca became the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon.
Its function was not only religious but also political: it was intended to reinforce the authority of the new royal power and serve as a reference for the development of the Romanesque style in the Pyrenean region.
Viewed from the exterior, the building is constructed with large, well-cut stone blocks laid in horizontal courses.
The facade presents a clear composition: a central semicircular arched door and, above it, simpler upper volumes topped by later additions.
The ensemble does not seek excessive ornamentation, but rather a legible and solid structure.
Narrow, semicircular arched windows open into the side walls, penetrating an interior with limited lighting.
This reduction in openings creates large, continuous stone surfaces where the visual weight of the building is concentrated on the walls.
One of the most recognizable elements of the cathedral is the so-called "ajedrezado jaqués" (Jaca checkerboard), a geometric decoration formed by small cubes carved in relief that runs along imposts, moldings, and capitals.
This motif is repeated in different parts of the building and becomes one of the first identifiable signs of Aragonese Romanesque.
Inside, the naves are organized by robust pillars that support semicircular arches.
The repetition of these arches creates a regular sequence that guides the gaze toward the back of the temple.
The space is elongated, with a clear structure in which each bay is defined by columns and vaults.
The Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana: stone and light in the Santillana valley
On the Cantabrian coast, the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana was built between the late 11th and early 12th centuries, in the vicinity of a town that grew around an earlier monastery and which, over time, would become one of the best-preserved medieval complexes in northern Spain.
The building is raised with light-toned limestone, arranged in well-fitted ashlar blocks.
The church has three naves and a head with semicircular apses.
From the exterior, the staggered volumes of the apses, which protrude from the back of the temple, are clearly visible.
The western portal is one of the most detailed elements of the complex.
It is formed by several semicircular archivolts that are recessed inward.
Sculpted figures depicting religious scenes and symbolic motifs appear on them.
These sculptures are concentrated especially on the main entrance, making the doorway the most intricately worked part of the building.
Inside, the three naves are separated by columns and arches repeated in a regular pattern.
The central nave is taller, allowing light to enter through small windows located in the upper part.
This lighting creates contrasts between the brighter and darker areas of the interior.
The sculptural ensemble of the portal and the interior organization make Santa Juliana a clear example of how the Romanesque style adapts its forms to religious function and the visual transmission of content in stone.
Two ways of understanding the early Romanesque
The Cathedral of Jaca and the Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana represent two distinct solutions within the same architectural language.
In Jaca, a clear structure, the repetition of modules, and the geometric definition of the walls predominate.
In Santillana del Mar, by contrast, the sculptural focus on the portal and greater decorative richness in the entrances stand out.
Both are part of the initial process of the Romanesque and allow us to understand how this style adapts to different political, geographical, and religious contexts.
Through their stone walls, their semicircular arches, and their interior spaces organized into naves, these churches showcase the birth of an architecture that would profoundly mark the history of European medieval art.
