The Museum of the Roads of the Gaudí Palace presents as ‘Piece of the month‘ an oval relief from the last third of the 18th century representing the apostle Santiago on horseback. It will be exhibited throughout the month of July in a prominent place on the second floor of the Gaudí Palace. This is the month in which the apostle, patron saint of Spain, is commemorated and whose feast day is celebrated on July 25.
It is an oval relief that represents Santiago on horseback and it is probable that it was part of an altarpiece as a decorative element. This month of July Santiago is commemorated as the patron saint of Spain. Following in his footsteps, the Camino de Santiago was established, which has an outstanding significance in Astorga and its surroundings and to which the Provisorato room in the Museo de los Caminos is dedicated.
Elegant in its execution, Santiago el Mayor is shown as a graceful horseman, brandishing his sword with his right hand, cape in the air and without signs that define his santiaguista identity. The limited oval space with which this scene is resolved is completed with a subdued soldier wearing an oriental turban and a drum in clear reference to war.
This iconographic version of St. James was born in the Middle Ages, from a miniature of the Tumbo B of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, with the apostle on a horse, defeating his enemies represented as Muslim warriors at the feet of the equine. Thus his legendary and miraculous intervention in the battle of Clavijo in favor of the Christians is remembered.
The Baroque was a time of maximum diffusion of this scene, looking for in it a high degree of effectiveness and triumphal intentions.
At the end of the month the piece will move, but will remain, along with those of previous months, until the end of the year. The Gaudí Palace can be visited from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00 hours and in the afternoons from 16:00 to 20:00 hours.