RELIEF OF SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF THE VIRGIN

SURROUNDINGS 

The parish church of Salvador de Cifuentes is a Gothic style building that was constructed in the XIV and XV centuries. It has a basilica-shaped layout of three naves and five aisles and was built to replace a transitional Roman style temple built by Mayor Guillen de Guzmán, the Lady of Cifuentes. Of the original building, the western door or Door of St. James (Santiago) dating from between 1261 and 1268 still remains. The door has a sculpture of Andrés de Sigüenza who held the position of Bishop during that period. Other scenes on the door depict the struggle between the Just and the Condemned, an apostolate with angels and scenes from the life of Christ, Our Lord. In the XVI and XVII centuries, several chapels were added to the temple which altered its chancel and, following a fire, the side door was replaced with another Classicist style door in 1645. Among the temple's many interesting contents, a beautiful alabaster pulpit dating from the second half of the XV century is of outstanding interest. Both the pulpit and the reliefs of interest were saved from destruction in the Spanish Civil War by their being taken to the Spanish National Archaeological Museum for safekeeping.