San Pedro, Olite

San Pedro is a Romanesque and Gothic-style, Roman Catholic church, located on Calle El Fosal 2 in Olite, region of Navarre, Spain.

History

Construction of the church began in the 12th century but continued over the next centuries, creating a hybrid of structures. It is located adjacent to the castle-like Royal Palace of Olite. The 52 meter high gothic bell-tower is capped by a pointed roof, and is known as Torre Aguja or "Needle Tower". The murals in the bell-tower were moved to the Museo de Navarre (the Museum of Navarre in Pamplona).

The main portal is highly decorated including with scenes of St George and the Dragon and a Centaur fighting a Harpy. The tympanum is a later addition, depcting the Saints Peter, Andrew, and James. The lintel depicts scenes of the Life of St Peter. The facade has a gothic rose window.

North of the church is a cloister with decorated gothic columns. Some of the capitals depict scenes from Genesis.

The main retablo is dedicated to St Peter, and was completed in Baroque style. The canvases of St Fermín and St Francis Xavier are by Vicente Berdusán. The Chapel of the Virgen del Campanal was frescoed in the 13th-century. These works are now sheltered in the Museum of Navarre.

Inside the church is the tomb monument of the notary Enequo Pinel, built in 1432. A polychrome alabaster relief depicts the Trinity with three persons. The decorations were sculpted by Jean Lome de Tournay, sculptor for the court of Charles III of Navarre.^[1]

References