The east of the province of Leon, from the cereal plains of Tierra de Campos to the first foothills of the Cantabrian mountain range, is a simple-looking territory with interesting cultural and landscape values, but that holds unique surprises even in the most modest towns.
The Route of the Plateresque Altarpieces of Leon proposes a seventy-six kilometer route through the temples of ten towns that have preserved true works of sacred art.
The main altarpiece of the church of San Pedro in the town of Vallecillo is a work from the end of the 16th century with three sections and five streets in which all the apostles are represented, in addition to the Passion of Christ.
In Gordaliza del Pino the church of Nuestra Señora de Arbás preserves the right side altarpiece made in the second half of the 16th century dedicated to the cycles of the Passion and Glory of Christ. Made of polychrome pine wood with beautiful boards and sculptural works.
The town of Sahagún, in addition to its Jacobean heritage, preserves a magnificent altarpiece in the chapel of the Brotherhood of Jesús Nazareno y Patrocinio de San José, in which you can see eight interesting Plateresque bas-reliefs dated 1545.
Dating to the second quarter of the 16th century, the main altarpiece of the church of Joara with seven streets represents scenes of the Resurrection and the Coronation of the Virgin, in addition to the evangelists, drawing attention to the importance that the author gave to the representation of human anatomy.
The church of Saints Justo and Pastor in the town of Celada de Cea has an altarpiece from the mid-16th century in which several pictorial works that represent the Fathers of the Latin Church, the Evangelists and various Marian landscapes stand out.
The church of San Andrés in the town of Valdescapa holds an interesting surprise. Its altarpiece, made in the mid-16th century, bears the imprint of the master Juan de Juni through his collaborator Guillén Doncel, to whom some sculptures of this work are attributed.
The small town of Valdavida also has its place on this route thanks to the magnificent 16th century altarpiece that presides over the church of San Julián and Santa Basilisa. Highlights include the reliefs from the books of Genesis and Numbers, the carvings of the titular saints and the polychrome tables with scenes from the Passion of Christ.
According to some specialists, the main altarpiece of the church of Saints Facundo and Primitivo in the town of Villaselan bears the signature of a disciple of Gaspar Becerra in the 16th century tabernacle incorporated into the previous underbank from the 15th century. The polychromes that represent passages from the Passion of Christ, the life of the Virgin and the childhood of Jesus also belong to this same period.
With the mountains in the background, the town of Cistierna preserves a magnificent altarpiece in the church of Cristo Rey. Dating to the first third of the 16th century, it presents an elegant and carefully carved structure and an excellent collection of polychrome panels.
This artistic route ends in Yugueros, whose church of San Salvador is presided over by an altarpiece dated 1553. The oil paintings represent episodes from the Childhood of Jesus, the glory of Christ, scenes from the life of Mary to culminate with the representation of the Ascension of Christ.
