Scientific and Project

"The Mudejar tower of San Pedro el Viejo de Madrid offers, thanks to various modern-era and contemporary interventions, the possibility of analyzing its unknown construction process and construction tecniques combining brick and limestone stonework. A wall of brick and mud was used as the formwork of limestone walls and then used as a base for the first sections and staircase. The wood and brick walls on view were also used as formwork.

Key words: Construction techniques. Toledo Mudejar. Tower, staircase, formwork, brick, limestone. Madrid, San Pedro el Viejo."

The archaeological analysis of the standing structure of the church of san Miguel de Lillo (oviedo) has been focused on recording the walls and a typological study of its individual elements. This research has revealed alterations to the original building project, the ruin of the eastern extension of the church and the different historic and modern modifications.

Analysis of the walls confirms that alterations were made during the original building process, which affected the western space, where two thick walls divided it into a porch and two lateral stairs supporting the upper tribune. This alteration could have been made because of modification of those parts already built (such as the semi columns at the stairs’ entrances), the reuse of some elements moved to a new location (such as the bases of the semi columns attached to the new walls or the mouldings replaced without any order and, finally, the production of new pieces specifically for this alteration. Those elements cut in limestone belong to this last group and can be classified in two types: some are decorated, but in a different style to those belonging to the original building cut in sandstone, and, on the other hand, most of them are plain or prepared for decoration. The analysis of these individual elements has been the key to recognising this alteration, which is not visible in the external wall faces nor in the plastered interior. These discoveries enable us to discuss the builders of the church, and specially those responsible for two different kinds of decoration. it is highly probable than the reformed project included an exterior porch with an upper balcony, which would explain the upper western door.

The many decorated fragments gathered from the site of the church (more than fifty are currently preserved in the oviedo Museum) as well the foundations recorded in half dozen modern interventions indicate that there was an eastern extension of the building, although stratigraphic evidence of its demolition has not been found. some original decorative remains have been preserved in the internal wall faces of the side-aisles, but others have been reused in the exterior, indicating thus rebuilding. a detailed analysis of these walls, without the plaster, would show stratigraphic evidence now hidden.

once the building had collapsed, a new sanctuary was set up in a similar position to the present one. although we are not sure of form of this sanctuary, two facts show that it originally existed: the remains of a chancel in the present crossing and the dismantling of a wall closing off the porch, which was opened up to give the congregation a new space.

Subsequent modifications took place in the building. The current apse was probably built in the Late Medieval Period or early in Modern Period and, later on, other buildings were erected around the church, whose function was dependent on it. all these additions were removed in the restorations starting in 1850. other restorations were carried out in the building itself, mainly in the north-western corner.

This publication includes a list of stratigraphic Units and their interpretations (activities), which is actually a synthesis of the archaeologists’ recording sheets, the stratigraphic sequence diagram and the stratigraphic elevation drawings.

Se exponen los principales resultados obtenidos tras la lectura estratigráfica de un templo que, pese a su escala,
ha suscitado un moderado interés en los estudios del románico soriano. La secuencia, que se prolonga hasta
nuestros días, arroja interesantes datos acerca de un posible proceso de fortificación en época medieval así como
sobre las dificultades experimentadas para su cierre definitivo. La imbricación de los datos arqueológicos con
las referencias escritas conservadas nos ha permitido, además, documentar las intensas remodelaciones de la
fábrica en la edad Moderna.
This paper shows the main results of the archaeological analysis of a temple which, small though, has caused a
moderate interest within the studies on the Romanesque in Soria. The sequence, which lasts until today, offers
interesting data regarding a possible fortification process in the medieval period and the obstacles to close it up
definitely. The archaeological data along with the written references have made possible besides to record others
deep transformations that took place in the Modern Age.