Infanta Sancha, the daughter of Alphonsus V, and her husband Ferdinand - the son of Sancho el Mayor of Navarre-, the Count of Castille, became the King and Queen of castile and León in 1037 and set up court in the city of León.
The monarchs decided to build a temple, beside which they erected the Royal Pantheon shortly afterwards. To consecrate this building, the remains of St. Isidore, who was Archibishop of Seville in the VI century and one of the foremost authorities of knowledge in his time, were transferred from Seville to León.
Since then, the building has been enhanced over successive artistic stages to this day.
This was the prevailing artistic style in Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries and part of the 13th. It marked the renaissance of Christian art, which managed to formulate a single language for all artistic disciplines. Although it arose at the same time in different places, it was not until the 11th century that it spread throughout Europe, fuelled by major economic and cultural growth.
Spanish Romanesque, of which one of the foremost examples is the St. Isidoro Basilica, only developed in the north of the territory, as the rest of the peninsula was occupied by the Muslims. The Pantheon of the Monarchs conserves one of the greatest masterpieces of European Romanesque mural painting.
Since the monastery was founded, many elements have been contributed towards the wealth of the museum, by means of donations, for the most part by royalty.
The passage of the centuries and historical events have led to the destruction of some of these and the dispersion of others, but many others of high artistic value, mostly created by smiths, have been conserved. The premises in which the museum is housed are for the most part Romanesque in style and constitute in their own right a very beautiful monumental ensemble.
Despite the plundering suffered, the archive and library of St. Isidoro still conserve one hundred and fifty-five codices, extensive documentation on vellum and paper, almost four hundred incunables and about a thousand ancient books.
Major restoration work has recently been completed on the Basilica, renovating the building known as the House of Spirituality, which was in disuse up to now.
The restoration work left the original structure of the building intact and revealed hidden works of art, such as the Ribero staircase that imitates the extraordinary stairs leading up to the old priory house, by the same creator. Another item that has been recovered is a desk in the Carlos IV style, perhaps the most valuable of the furnishings that dress the spacious bright corridors of the house.
As for the paintings that were once removed - some of which are dated from the 13th century onwards - , they will also be restored so that they may be reinstalled in the inner cloisters of the Basilica. Another example of the items that have been restored is a door commissioned by Menéndez Pidal, which was found in an attic room.
The efforts made to restore the artistic wealth of this wing of the basilica have turned it into a favoured venue for spiritual retreat.
The House of Spirituality also has excellent facilities for holding cultural and religious events.
In short, it is an unrivalled venue that invites visitors to remain silence and look inwards, in the context of this beautiful monumental ensemble.
House of Spirituality
Plaza Santo Martino, 5
Telephone no. 987 875 088
FAX 987 876 350
24003 León
