The complex process of construction and evolution of the image of the Apostle James in European art from the early Middle Ages to the present day is one of the most fascinating chapters in the analysis of hagiographic iconography. This is not so much because of its eschatological depth, but because of the thaumaturgical and inspirational power of the fisherman, brother of John the Evangelist, member of Jesus’ close circle and evangeliser of Hispania. Driven by the extraordinary boom in pilgrimages after the invention of his tomb at the beginning of the 9th century, the three iconographic types spread throughout Europe: apostle, warrior – Miles Christi, champion of the Christian kingdoms against Muslim domination and later patron saint of these kingdoms – and pilgrim. And together with his image, significant symbols in themselves, such as the scallop.

The liturgy permeated the life of medieval Christians, making its presence felt on a daily basis in all spheres of their existence. This ritual component of medieval religiosity has survived to the present day either through the numerous written sources we have preserved or through the meanings of some of the pieces exhibited in museums today (such as objects, ornaments, books or iconographic scenes in other works of art). The interpretative possibilities of the ritual past of the Middle Ages offered by some of these works exhibited today are enormously broad: from bringing the general public closer to the Christian cultic dimension of a thousand years ago, to making possible new scientific paradigms for researchers in ritual studies. Based on the analysis of some paradigmatic cases of national and international institutions, we propose an approach to the ritual culture of medieval Christianity centred on the medieval objects that are preserved and exhibited to the public.

The basilica building at Marialba has been known since the excavations carried out by the researchers Helmunt Schlunk and Theodor Hauschild of the German Archaeological Institute in Madrid in 1968-1970, who described it as one of the first martyrial basilicas in Hispania. However, many details of the complex are still unknown. The new archaeological research aims to determine its origin, extension and function in each of the construction phases from the 4th to the 14th century, with different uses of the space, from the initial aula, successively converted into a mausoleum, a baptismal church and a funerary area.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the restoration of the Premonstratensian monastery of Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia), the Santa María la Real Foundation is giving a conference on the past, present and future of this exceptional testimony of our cultural heritage. During the conference, given by the director of the institution, Juan Carlos Prieto, and the director of the Centro de Estudios del Románico, Jaime Nuño, the evolution of the monastery over the last four decades and the cultural activities that are currently being organised to generate development in the area will be explained to the audience.

The castellated churches present a very singular typology, we can distinguish two large groups, those that arose as churches and were later fortified, or, in the opposite case, towers or castles on which churches were attached. It is essential to recognise the construction sequence in castellated churches in order to understand their reality. In the case in question, the scarcity of documents, as well as the changes in its structure, related to the different uses of the castle and the tastes of the time, make the task of reaching precise conclusions notoriously complicated, although at present we can shed some light on the historiography surrounding the Church of San Miguel Arcángel and, therefore, the Castle of Turégano.

We usually associate monasteries with the Middle Ages. Monks, nuns, friars and canons played a fundamental role throughout this millennium, both in religious, cultural and economic life. There were different forms of monasticism, both male and female, from the diversity of the early Middle Ages to the establishment of religious orders, and monasteries were an articulating element of society, from the aristocracy to the peasantry. The desire to attain the perfection of Christian life clashed with the adaptation to society, in a tension that took the form of scandals and reforms. The relationship with the laity, between protection and abuse; the attitude to teaching and written culture; the different ways of organising the life of the monastic community; intercessory prayer for the living and the dead; and the tensions with bishops and secular clerics, all marked the evolution of the monastic life.

The southern doorway of Jaca Cathedral is much less well known than the western entrance to the church, with its famous chrism and inscriptions. However, it was one of the first historiated doorways in the Romanesque style in the Iberian Peninsula. The alterations suffered over the centuries and the loss of original elements have undoubtedly contributed to this historiographical neglect.
A hypothesis for the reconstruction of the ensemble, based on the study of components still in situ and other decontextualised elements, will make it possible to highlight its singularities and propose new keys for reading its images. In this sense, the cathedral doorway is revealed as an important milestone in the creation of visual discourses and the configuration of entrance typologies at the end of the 11th century.

Biscós Square is located at the northern end of the historic centre of Jaca; it has been an open space for public use since the beginning of the 16th century, when it became known as Campo del Toro (Bull’s Field). It had previously housed the Main Cemetery for four hundred years, from the end of the 11th century. This space was the subject of archaeological excavations between 2005 and 2006, on the occasion of the construction of an underground car park. The work brought to light almost 900 tombs of various types, as well as the remains of the wall that had been demolished at the beginning of the 20th century. Among the findings were around twenty burials with Pecten shells that link this area to the Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela. The documentation of the Main Cemetery has recently been completed with archaeological excavations carried out in neighbouring plots (Plaza Biscós no. 2 and Plaza Ripa no. 4), documenting around fifty tombs, belonging to the first phase of use of the necropolis and which mainly housed infants and children.