Portico of Glory of Santiago de Compostela, Master Mateo (Romanesque) (1188)

I. IDENTIFIERS

Artist/Attribution: Master Mateo (and his workshop)

Date: 1188 (Main lintels placed on April 1, 1188; work continued through 1211)

Medium: Granite sculpture with traces of polychrome paint

Location: Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain)

Culture/Period: Spanish Romanesque (with Transitional/Early Gothic elements)

II. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

During the late 12th century in Europe the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) had become one of the three most important pilgrim routes in Christendom alongside Rome and Jerusalem. Santiago, Spain is where the remains of the Apostle Santiago (James the Great) are located inside the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The 12th century was the peak of the Camino, millions of Europeans from peasants to nobility, walked months through Europe to reach the cathedral.

At the peak of the Camino de Santiago, King Ferdinand II of León was the ruler of León and there was a separation of three kingdoms: León, Castile, and Portugal. Because of this, Ferdinand II wanted to assert power due to Portugal and Castile expanding. Ferdinand II wanted to have more territorial expansion, because of this, he and Pope Alexander III united to elevate the cathedral. Ultimately, the cathedral was consecrated on April 21, 1211. Architecturally, the world was transitioning from Romanesque architecture into Gothic architecture. This time period is also known as the “Renaissance of the 12th Century” which fundamentally was a period of intellectual and artistic revival across the entire continent. With the construction of the Cathedral, the kingdom of León asserted political and monetary dominance. 

III. SUBJECT MATTER

The Portico of Glory is a monumental, structured sermon which depicts the history of human salvation, the triumph of Christ, and the promise of the Celestial Jerusalem (Heaven). 

The central arch has the resurrected Christ, who is towering over the center in full majesty, his depiction departs from a traditional Romanesque depiction where Christ is terrifying and a harsh judge, instead he opens his hands offering salvation and mercy. Next to Christ are the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), each one represented by their symbolic animals (Matthew; winged man, Mark; winged lion, Luke; the ox, John; the eagle) the animals symbolize the different theological focuses, narratives that appear in each one of the Gospels. The Angels of the Passion also appear carrying the instruments of Christ’s torture such as the cross, crown of thorns, spear and column of flagellation. Above Christ appear the 24 elders of the Apocalypse who are shown playing instruments adjacent to the medieval time period such as the organistrum, harp, and psalteries. 

The Central Mullion (the Column of Faith) is beneath the central arch and has a statue of Saint James who welcomes tired travelers with a scroll on one hand and with a pilgrim’s staff in the other, he is represented as a direct mediator who leads souls toward Christ who is above him. The marble shaft of the column has the genealogy of the tree of Jesse that comes from the family tree of the Virgin Mary, showing Christ’s human genealogy. At the base of the pillar the column crushes various monsters and demons that symbolize the victory of the Christian faith over paganism.

The Left Arch represents the Old Testament and the prophecies before the coming of Jesus. There are important Old Testament figures such as Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. The archivolt above these prophets shows a scene in which human souls are trapped, representing humanity waiting in limbo waiting for Jesus to arrive and free them. 

The Right Arch represents the New Testament and the Last Judgment. Important New Testament figures such as St Peter holding the keys to Heaven, St. Paul, St. James, and St. John. The arch on top of these figures has a duality. On one side, angels carry blessed souls to Heaven, while on the opposite side grotesque demons are torturing and consuming the damned.

The Portico’s purpose was to serve as a psychological climax of the pilgrimage. After the many months of travelling filled with disease, bandits, exhaustion, and starvation, the Portico served as a glimpse of heaven on earth to inspire pilgrims to live their faith, and to at last enter the Cathedral. 

IV. ABOUT THE ARTIST

Master Mateo (c. 1150-1217) was a rare and revolutionary artist of the medieval. During the 12th century most artists were anonymous and treated as manual laborers, however Mateo achieved a high status and was recognized as a master architect, engineer, and sculptor.  He even received a lifetime pension by King Ferdinand II of León who gave him 100 maravedís yearly to make sure that he was solely dedicated to the construction of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Even though he was sponsored by the royal family, Mateo’s main motivation was his personal salvation, for example at the back base of the Portico’s central pillar, he carved a small kneeling self-portrait of himself with his hands over his heart. It is known as the Santo dos Croques, and he represents himself as a humble, permanent pilgrim who is asking God for His mercy.   

V. PERSONAL CONNECTION

I selected this work for Iliostacio because I have been blessed to have walked the Camino twice and encountered the Portico in every trip. The first time I went, I did not know that the Portico of Glory existed and was tremendously sought-after by pilgrims which meant that months in advance people secured their tickets. However, a 14-year-old me ended up inside a section of the Cathedral which was guarded and a kind guard allowed me to come through and once inside a staff member asked me for my tickets and upon seeing that I did not have them I was about to leave when the sweetest lady called me and tells me “grandson, grandson, I have your ticket here.” I went to this kind lady, and she offered me her extra ticket, allowing me to encounter this glorious masterpiece. When seeing it, I was shocked with the Portico’s formidable conservation, and the accurate descriptions of the sculptures that are Romanesque. The Portico of Glory is genuinely a hidden masterpiece that ought to keep being preserved.