Gargoyles in Martín Muñoz de las Posadas. Art History and Research

Art History and Research

In today’s post I’ll be presenting the gargoyles on the church of Our Lady of the Assumption in the town of Martín Muñoz de las Posadas, in the province of Segovia.

When you arrive in the Plaza Mayor (the town’s main square) you come across this impressive church. The church is listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Sebastian.

Its gargoyles are on the magnificent brick-built tower. There are just eight of them. Even so, despite their small number and the tremendous wear and tear they’ve been subjected to, they’re very varied, something that caught my attention as they seemed significant for their iconographic interest.

Trying to work out exactly what some of the figures actually represent is, as I said, difficult because the stone is so damaged. However, it’s possible to see some of the details and characteristics that allow you to make out the images of a lion, an anthropomorphic figure, a dog holding a bone like a club, another dog with a collar, two eagles (one with its head to one side) and lastly an animal head and a quadruped, both very badly damaged and difficult to recognise.

Sadly, erosion in the gargoyles on the church at Martín Muñoz de las Posadas prevents you from fully appreciating the sculptural and iconographic beauty of these eight figures. But even so, you can fortunately still see them in their complete form. Today I want to share them with you because I think it’s worth admiring and valuing Spanish gargoyles, especially if they’re from the 16th century.