The Castle and the Lion of 1230

Stand before the southern doorway and look closely at the carved castle and lion. While these figures appear weathered by time, they represent the 1230 union of the kingdoms of Castile and León. This structure holds the distinction of being the oldest church in Miranda de Ebro, though a 1099 charter makes reference to an even older temple on this site. During that era, a previous temple of San Nicolás served as a juradero, where neighbors on opposite sides of the river settled legal disputes based on the local charter.

We must observe the building as a study in architectural transition. While the exterior retains a solid Romanesque feel, the doorway features three pointed arches with geometric motifs. The five-part apse is particularly unique, separated by heavy prismatic buttresses. Its deeply splayed windows emphasize the massive weight of the walls and the building's robustness. Inside, the space remains simple, though the choir and bell tower were added in the middle of the 16th century.

The temple was seriously damaged by a fire in 1936 and remained closed for 36 years before being rehabilitated and reopened in 1972. Although it was known as San Nicolás for centuries, it now serves as the Iglesia del Espíritu Santo, as the old name was given to a new church built in 1945. You are invited to explore the 13th-century masonry and the apse, which was cleaned and restored in 2003.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons