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Guide to Mudéjar Art in the Province of Palencia 

January 17, 20187:30 p.m.
MADRID
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Alcalá, 62). 7:30 p.m. Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached.
In Spanish.

Casa Árabe is presenting this work written by Pedro J. Lavado, with photographs by Javier Ayarza on Wednesday, January 17 in Madrid.

The event will include attendance by María de los Ángeles Armisén Pedrejón, President of the Provincial Government Office in Palencia; Luis A. Calderón Nágera, Vice-President of the Provincial Government Office of Palencia and Head of the Department of Tourism in Palencia; Pedro J. Lavado, the book’s author, and Javier Ayarza, the author of the photographs in the book. The event will be introduced by Pedro Martínez-Avial, the General Director of Casa Árabe.

On the basis of studies in the field completed by the author between the years of 1974 and 1977, with current images from Mudéjar works taken by Palencian photographer Javier Ayarza, the book, sponsored and published by the Department of Tourism of the Provincial Government Office of Palencia, is an attempt to draw attention to the rich artistic heritage existing in this province, which cannot be understood without knowing about Palencia’s Romanesque art and the influence held by the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James.

The active presence of Arabs in Palencia has been documented back to the twelfth century, with many monasteries, convents and noble families from the region employing very important craftsmen in woodworking, plaster casting, masonry and rammed earth building. As of the fourteenth century, with the presence of Pedro I and the House of Trastámara, despite a critical situation caused by the black plague and civil war, Mudéjar art became one of the most important features in these lands because of influences coming in from Granada. Until well into the sixteenth century, and even the first decade of the following century, these craftsmen continued to leave their mark behind and enrich not only the religious artistic heritage, but also the heritage in the civil and military arenas. The quality and detail of the photographs included in the book make it possible to appreciate viewpoints unseen up to now, thanks to the rich symbolism that can be found in these works, inviting viewers to visit these monuments in Palencia, still unknown to many.
Guide to Mudéjar Art in the Province of Palencia