2. Chapel of the White Virgin (Virgen Blanca)
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2.- Chapel of the White Virgin
(Virgen Blanca)
The doorway leading to the chapel of the White Virgin is a magnificent example of the Baroque style of the mid-17th century. Configured as a semicircular arch flanked by pilasters and crowned by an entablature and a curved split pediment, its decoration includes motifs such as putti, buds and mermaids, arranged in a candelieri style. Two angels with phylacteries guard the access arch, adding a touch of solemnity, while the pediment frames the coat of arms of the commissioning family, the García de Vera, executed in gilded and polychrome wood, highlighting their importance and patronage. The interior of the chapel is enclosed by a lunette vault, and both the intrados of the access arch and the vault are decorated with Mudejar-style ribbon work, adding elegance and stylistic continuity.
The oldest and most outstanding piece in the chapel is a polychrome and gilded stone sculpture of the White Virgin, which gives its name to the chapel. This Gothic carving from the second quarter of the 14th century shows the Virgin with the Child in her arms, following a French model, and the conservation of its original polychromy and gilding makes it an exquisite example of Marian iconography, where the mother and child interact with crossed gazes in a gesture of gentleness. The White Virgin is housed in the central niche of a Renaissance altarpiece from the early 16th century, decorated with elements such as grotesques and candelieri, attributed to Juan de Moreto. On the bench of the altarpiece, there are three oil-painted panels with scenes of the Resurrection of the Dead, the Mass of Saint Isidore and the Mass of Saint Gregory. On the sides of the central niche, in the side streets, there are saints in prayer, and above them, rounds with the Archangels Saint Michael and Saint Raphael.
This Renaissance altarpiece is framed within another altarpiece from the second quarter of the 17th century, which consists of a bench on which rest two groups of triple columns that support the entablature and the attic. On the bench, two canvases show the images of Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Anastasius, and on the plinths of the columns are reliefs of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome. The attic is presided over by a canvas dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin, attributed, together with those on the bench, to Jusepe Martínez. This chapel of the Collegiate Church of Santa María de Calatayud is an exceptional example of how different artistic styles and historical periods can coexist in harmony, creating a space of great beauty and cultural significance.
