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Final Digital Stories Project Description 

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Final Digital Stories Project Description 

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My idea for my final project remains the same as before however, I would like to add that all of my artifacts, while relating to the location of Ciudad Real, reflect the development of Ciudad Real from a refugee town to a royally declared city and religious icon in Early Modern Spain.  These artifacts show the transition of a town that has its roots in religious warfare, conquering of foreign and local peoples and the development of a stronghold against the Islamic invasion to a prosperous municipal that gained religious importance in this corner of Spain.

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My artifact relates to Ciudad Real because it actually represents the elevation of this town to a prominent position not just for royalty but also for Catholicism because the addition of this specific altarpiece raised the Ciudad Real church from the level of a church to the level of Cathedral in 1875 when it was officially declared an important religious location as it displayed religious piety with both the architectural additions/design of the building, devotional artworks and this altarpiece.

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Ideal proposal of the plan sent from New Spain for the altarpiece of Our Lady of the Prado, indicating all the parts that were modified in Giraldo de Merlo's work

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Ideal proposal of the plan sent from New Spain for the altarpiece of Our Lady of the Prado, indicating all the parts that were modified in Giraldo de Merlo's work

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From the manuscript written by Manuel Arias Martinez

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Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Real_Cathedral

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The altarpiece was completed in 1617 and is constructed almost entirely from wood coated in gesso, paint and gilding.  This piece was designed and built specifically for the Ciudad Real Cathedral, where it remains to this day.  It was built as a devotional piece wrought with symbolism of devotion, piety and spirituality.

The altar stands as tall as the church structure permits, as the size is not listed in either online format or scholarly articles.  The structure is comprised mostly of supporting columns and half reliefs portraying the 12 apostles of Christ and panels that have been painted with scenes displaying the "mysteries of God and Man (Marias-source #2)."

Some of the scenes displayed in this work range from images of the Life of Christ: the visit of the 3 Wise Men, the Nativity, and the Holy Trinity, to scenes of Mary's life, such as being visited by an angel.

It is a monumental piece that is tall and slender in design, despite its towering, broad form that overwhelms its viewers with both its magnificence and the solemn gravity that it possesses with the scene of Christ hanging from a cross at the top of the structure.  The centermost panel is gilded with silver that lights up the church when sunlight shines on it through the stained glass windows, alighting the figure of the Virgin Mary.  This is important because housed within this panel is the patron saint of Ciudad Real, the Virgen del Prado.  All eyes are on her as she stands out from the gold gilt work of the altarpiece.

The final design for this structure is much more light and elegant than the original proposed design, showing the modifications made by Merlo as he constructed this piece to reflect the emerging Baroque styles which included drama, grandeur, embellishment, tension, movement and the overlapping of narratives.

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Early Modern Artifact:  Our Lady of Prado- Ciudad Real Cathedral Altarpiece

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Early Modern Artifact:  Our Lady of Prado- Ciudad Real Cathedral Altarpiece

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Built by Spanish sculptor Giraldo de Merlo and painted by his son-in-law, by Juan de Heasten in 1617

This altarpiece, while being a key religious showpiece in the Ciudad Real Cathedral, is also a fashionable piece that represents the trending designs of the transitionary period between the Renaissance and Baroque eras, combining the two styles in a revolutionary way that was both traditional and, at the time, modern.

The altarpiece also reflects the styles of el Greco that were prominent in the late Renaissance era as both Merlo and Heasten were transitory artists of the time that included some of the emerging Baroque elements in their work.

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THE ALTARPIECE OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL PRADO FROM CIUDAD REAL AND HER ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: AN EXAMPLE OF A ROUND TRIP BETWEEN AMERICA AND EUROPE

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Giraldo de Merlo, Documentary Precisions

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Every post is color coded accordingly:

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City panorama by Johann Friedrich Leonart (1687)

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City panorama by Johann Friedrich Leonart (1687)

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Alfonso X of Castile from the Book of Games (El Libro de Los Juegos)

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Alfonso X of Castile from the Book of Games (El Libro de Los Juegos)

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http://jnsilva.ludicum.org/HJT2012/BookofGames.pdf

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The way that I envision my final Digital Stories Project is in a format very similar to the opening of Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty with an illuminated manuscript opening with a narrator telling the story and flipping through the pages.  One modification that I would like to add is the flattening of the book at key moments and adding automatic pop-up pieces that will also move/interact with each other.

I will be doing the initial narration and page flipping with Microsoft PowerPoint, making a video with that before overlaying the pop-up and animated imagery with Photoshop and using PremierPro to polish off the final product, which will be in video format, a .mov file compatible with both VLC and QuickTime.

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What is amazing about this paper, is that it relates directly to my ancient artifact of Alarcos.  After the failures of Alfonso X in repopulating the reconquered fortress due to a series of bloody battles that left the land and water supply completely unusable.  This document was drafted to repopulate an area near Alarcos, the town of Pozo Seco de Don Gil, which was promptly renamed Vila Real, the Royal Town, which evolved over time into the city of Ciudad Real.

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La Carta Puebla de Ciudad Real (Population Charter of Ciudad Real)

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La Carta Puebla de Ciudad Real (Population Charter of Ciudad Real)

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https://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/carta-puebla-of-ciudad-real-facsimile

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La Carta Puebla de Ciudad Real: A Medieval Artifact

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La Carta Puebla de Ciudad Real: A Medieval Artifact

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La Carta Puebla de Ciudad Real was a “Population Charter” that was created to encourage the repopulation and settlement of Villa Real after the disaster of Alarcos.  A Carta Puebla was often used to provide a detailed list of privileges to certain groups of people during the Reconquista and was a form of local social law that outlined the rights of the migrating individuals.

The Carta Puebla of Ciudad Real is an extremely unique manuscript as few of these population charters have survived to modern times.  This particular document was drafted and signed in Burgos on February 20, 1255, officially confirming Villa Real as a town.  There are around 92 signatures on this manuscript, one in particular being the signature of Prince Edward, son of Henry III of England, who was knighted prior to the signing of this document.

The Carta Puebla of Ciudad Real is being held in the Ciudad Real Town Hall a copy of the manuscript that was made in 1264 is on display in the Archivo del Ayutamiento in Ciudad Real.  The copy is an exact replica of the original that is marked as being made on March 7, 1264.

http://www.ciudad-real.es/historia/cartapuebla.php

https://www.facsimiles.com/facsimiles/carta-puebla-of-ciudad-real

https://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/carta-puebla-of-ciudad-real-facsimile

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In 1212, the Battle of Las Naves de Tolosa took place between the Almohad Muslim rulers of the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula and the combined forces of Alfonso VIII of Castile, Sancho VII of Navarre and Peter II of Aragon.  This battle was a key turning point in the Reconquista, ending Moorish rule in the Iberian Peninsula after the collapse of the Almohad Empire several years later.

It was after this battle that the fortress of Alarcos began to decline.  The battle had been bloody and brutal, leaving the land stained with blood and earning the valley the nickname Valley of Blood and unusable for decades to come.

Portrayal of the battle by Francisco de Paula Van Halen (1864)

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The word falcata comes from the Latin word falcatus, which means falcon-shaped.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Real_Cathedral

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The Carta Puebla of Ciudad Real is a small parchment manuscript around 44x44cm in size, made of animal hide, black, blue and red ink.  Writing covers the entirety of the page with small blank borders less than 1 inch wide.

Two seals are present on this document, a small chi-rho stamp on the top left corner, which is a monogram of the letters X (chi) and P (rho), a Greek Christian symbol from ancient times.

A large, round stamp of privilege of Alfonso X of Castile adorns the majority of the bottom half of the page along with his coat of arms and the flags of both Castile and León in blue and red.

Due to the aging process, the blue ink has yellowed into a shade of green.  The name of Alfonso is displayed prominently throughout the manuscript in illuminated letters of blue and red.

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http://www.ciudad-real.es/turismo/puertadetoledo.php

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https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alarcos

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This is a very Gothic-themed manuscript that very much reflects the styles and colors of the time with the use of frequent illumination, the Greek Chi-Rho symbol of Christianity on the top left.

The colors are also consistent with the times, as red and blue were frequently used in illumination.  The color blue in Medieval times was a symbol of heavenly grace, often being associated with the Virgin Mary, and red symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit.

This signifies that this document was not only a piece of legislation but also an unusual type of sanctioned religious document, which can be supported by the outlining details of the document, one of which was the designation of utilizing an oval shaped wall around the city, which is a symbol of divine protection in the medieval christian world as well as the placement of seven gates to the city, a holy number.

https://www.segmation.com/blog/color-symbolism-in-medieval-christian-art

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The church was constructed sometime during the 13th and 14th centuries after the successful Battle of Las Naves de Tolso in 1212 recaptured the area from the Moors. The building structure has been altered so many times over the ages that initial plans for the structure have been completely lost.  As of now, the building consists of three naves and a Latin cross plan.

Possessing a Romanesque character, the main facade of the church faces southwest with a large tracery rose window that was copied for the rose window of the Cathedral of Ciudad Real.  It has a coffered ceiling and tiled roof which is supported on the inside by 10 octagonal limestone pillars which support the 8 arches holding up the roof.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santuario_de_Nuestra_Señora_de_Alarcos

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Being the location of many cultures including Romans, Moors, Visigoths and early Bronze Age peoples, there are many artifacts including Roman ceramics and weapons from various time periods. One of the most frequently found objects in this are are Iberian falcate, sickle shaped sword favored in Pre-Roman times by southern Iberian tribes.

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Foundations of a City: The Disaster of Alarcos 1195 A.D.

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Foundations of a City: The Disaster of Alarcos 1195 A.D.

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During the reign of Spanish King Alfonso VIII, the ing invaded Muslims lands which resulted in retaliation at the site of Alarcos, resulting in the Islamic takeover of the site as the inhabitants retreated five miles away to the town Pozo Seco de Don Gil.  Established there, the people began building up the town till the reign of Alfonso X, who named it Villa Real, the royal town, establishing it as the royal capital.

https://www.islamicspain.tv/history-of-islamic-spain/major-battles/

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An oppidum is a large, fortified Roman settlement established during the Iron Age, essentially being the modern equivalent of a small town.

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The municipal of Ciudad Real, is located in a typical hot-summer Mediterranean environment, enjoying hot, dry summers and extremely rainy winters. The city is known for agricultural processing, its market center in lumber, flour milling and liquor distilling.

Several notable features of Ciudad Real, are the 14th century walls surrounding the original city. These walls connect to the Puerta de Toledo (Gate of Toledo 1328), which was declared a national monument in 1915.

The 15th century Gothic Cathedral of Santa María del Prado, also known as the Ciudad Real Cathedral.  Its oldest feature being the Puerto del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness), from the 13th or 14th century.

And finally, the Plaza del Pilar, which is built on a volcanic maar, shallow crater of an extinct volcano.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Ciudad-Real-province-Spain

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Ancient and Medieval Artifact: Parque Arqueológico de Alarcos (Archeological Park of Alarcos) 

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Ancient and Medieval Artifact: Parque Arqueológico de Alarcos (Archeological Park of Alarcos) 

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This archeological site is integral to the development of modern Ciudad Real, being only 5 miles (8 kilometers) away from the city itself.  This location has been the site of human settlement since the Bronze Age, being built up over the years on the Cerro of Alarcos (Hill of Alarcos), becoming an oppidum during the Iron Age, eventually being surrendered to the Almohad ruler Abu Yusuf Ya'qub al-Mansur after a failed invasion of Seville that resulted in conflict that forced the inhabitants of Alarcos and other nearby castles/fortresses to surrender their homesteads and flee.

The city has been through long conflicts with the inhabitants and the northern part of Africa, changing hands frequently in bloody conflicts until the fortress was temporarily recovered by Alfonso VII in 1130 and recovered once again in 1158, even though it was entirely in ruins after the Muslim recapture.

Alfonso VIII rebuilt the site in 1178 however, he made the mistake of boldly attacking Seville, a city occupied by the Moors from the 8th-13th centuries.  This revenge attack led to retaliation and the Battle of Alarcos in 1195 where the fortress was demolished and left to burn.

Both Fernando III and Alfonso X attempted to repopulate Alarcos however, both attempts failed due to the unhealthy environment of the location and the bad memories associated with the site.  It is often referred to as the valle de la sangre (valley of blood).

This site also features the remains of Medieval walls, a church, and a castle ruins on an area of about 3,300 acres (5 sq. miles) near the Guadiana River.

The castle has been rebuilt and added on to several times however, the basic structure of the solid walls can be seen in the ruins which face northeast, directly opposite of the church.  Individual rooms can ben seen in aerial photos, not all of the walls being straight, creating a sort of labyrinth-like pattern.  Various other dwelling sites are scattered throughout the location, the framework of these buildings being located closer to the church, whose structure has remained fully intact and is still open for public use.

The church, while also being whole, is the true attraction of this site.

https://cultura.castillalamancha.es/patrimonio/parques-arqueologicos/alarcos

http://www.man.es/man/dam/jcr:c1d31f60-e1bb-432c-949a-d91aca93f5e5/2019-bolman-38-04-fernandez.pdf

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The city of Ciudad Real was built up from the village called Pozo Seco de Don Gil, which became the new capital called Villa Real (Royal Town) during the reign of Alfonso X the Wise (1252-1284).

It was granted the status of city by Juan II of Castile in 1420, gaining its current name in the process.

The city itself is located in the southern half of the Inner Plateau, in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Ciudad-Real-Spain