Canonry of San Pedro de Siresa
Monastery of Siresa / Ciresia / Monasterio Syrasie
(Valle de Hecho, Osca)
The first documentary evidence of this monastery is found in a donation of land made in 833 by Galindo Garcés (Count of Aragon between 833 and 844) and his wife Guldregut. The house would have been founded at that time, under Carolingian influence. Later, during a visit in 852, the strength of the monastery and its library is mentioned, probably favoured by the proximity of the Roman road that followed the Echo valley from Berdún to France, passing through the pass of Palo.
In 867, Galindo I Aznar (successor to Galindo I Garcés, Count of Aragon between 844 and 867) handed over the village of Echo, the head of the valley, to the monastery. The monastery also benefited from the restoration of the old episcopal see of Huesca, which had disappeared for a long time. During the following years (10th century) there are donations and confirmations of properties by the authorities. Almanzor's expedition against Pamplona (999) also affected the monastery, which was depopulated. In 1082 it was restored and became an Augustinian canonical monastery, which in 1097 became dependent on the abbey of Montearagón, until it was subordinated to the church of Jaca in 1145.
Alfonso I the Battler (1073-1134) was educated in this monastery. Once he became king of Aragon, he confirmed (1113) the privileges of the monastery, as well as granting it other properties and benefits. The house underwent a profound transformation because of its dependence on the bishopric of Jaca, which established a chapter of clerics. It was possibly during this period that a large part of the present church was built, reflecting the economic situation. Construction was resumed in the middle of the same century but seems to have remained unfinished. It is a large, cruciform construction with a single apse. This church preserves remains of Pre-Romanesque constructions at the foot of the nave.
Christogram of the portal
In this sense, it is worth highlighting the massive construction that forms the main doorway, with a body that stands out from the level of the façade, finished off with a pair of semicircular arches, and a small bell tower. The tympanum of this door features a Christogram. Inside, this structure supports a raised gallery. The apse has three openings, which are combined with blind arches, both inside and outside. The church of Siresa still preserves part of its furnishings, including a Christ of the Descent from the Cross, possibly from the 12th century, a 13th century Virgin and Gothic altarpieces dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, the Trinity, Saint Stephen and Saint James.
Christ of the Descent from the Cross
Altarpiece of Saint John the Evangelist
Altarpiece of Saint James the Great
Transept
- CROZET, René (1964). L'église abbatiale de Siresa (Huesca). Bulletin Monumental, t. 122
- DEL ARCO, Ricardo (1914). El monasterio de Siresa. Linajes de Aragón, t. 5, núm. 18
- DURAN GUDIOL, Antonio (1989). El monasterio de San Pedro de Siresa. Diputación G. de Aragón
- DURÁN GUDIOL, Antonio (1991). Dos cuestiones sobre el monasterio de San Pedro de Siresa. Príncipe de Viana, núm. 193
- LACARRA, María del Carmen (1995). El Cristo de San Pedro de Siresa (aproximación a su estudio). Homenaje a Don Antonio Durán Gudiol. Osca: Instituto de Estudios Altoaragoneses
- MARTÍNEZ, Javier; i altres (2012). San Pedro de Siresa y Alfonso el Batallador. Monumentos singulares del románico. Nuevas lecturas sobre formas y usos. Aguilar de Campoo: F. Santa María la Real
- UBEIRA, José Luis (1999). Siresa. El lugar, la historia, la leyenda. Osca: I. Estudios Aragoneses
- UBIETO, Agustín (1999). Los monasterios medievales en Aragón. Saragossa: C. A. Inmaculada
- UBIETO, Antonio (1986). Cartulario de Siresa. Saragossa: Textos Medievales, 2
Siresa is located in the Echo Valley (Huesca)