The Evolving Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari

The Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari is situated in the barrio de Sinovas de Aranda de Duero (Burgos). It has been declared a cultural property of interest in the category of national monument since 1964. The church is characterized by a mix of different styles that respond to various stages of its construction, highlighting elements of Romanesque, Mudéjar, and Renaissance styles.

The church features a Romanesque facade from the 13th century and a main altarpiece dedicated to San Nicolás de Bari, a 16th-century work by Francisco de Logroño. Significant interior elements include the choir staircase and pulpit made of Mudéjar plasterwork by Juan and Sebastián de la Torre, and a polychrome wood artesonado in the Gothic-Mudéjar style dating from the beginning of the 15th century. Around 1525, the original wooden staircase to the choir was replaced by the current one, made of plaster.

In the late 16th century, the entrance portico was built, featuring a timber roof and eight columns of a clearly Renaissance style. These columns include a classical base, a fluted shaft decorated with fleur-de-lis, and a capital decorated with vegetable motifs. The fleur-de-lis was used as a coat of arms by Reina, the parish priest of the Iglesia de Santa María at that time, who paid for the portico's construction. Recent work included restoring the portico columns, repairing the upper walls, and installing a new ceiling to imitate the original artesonado where it had detached.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons