The Catalina Tapia chapel was under the patronage of Antonio
Tapia. The gate that closes the chapel is made of wood and is an excellent
example of the city's Renaissance. The founders of the chapel may be presented
in medallions: On the right Catalina and on the left her husband Antonio Tapia.
In the center the family shield supported by tenant angels.
In the pastoral visit of August 6, 1610, this chapel with its
altar is already mentioned. Teresa Tapia leaves a pious work of 10,000
maravedís a year at the rate of endowment and ornaments of two chaplains. The
chapel was called Santa Catalina and left Don López de Paz y Tapia as its
patron.
ALTARPIECE DEDICATED TO MARÍA MAGDALENA
In this chapel there is a small altarpiece dedicated to Mary
Magdalene from the 17th century. The personality of the saint who is venerated
under this name has been constructed from several imprecise evangelical
quotations. In the upper part of the altarpiece an interesting canvas that
combines the iconography of the battle of San Miguel, the blessed souls of
purgatory and Mary Magdalene. It is the moment in which the Souls in Purgatory
submit to individual judgment. This altarpiece was gilded in 1729 thanks to the
generosity of Francisco de Andrés de Diego. This image, possibly from the 16th
century, is the owner of the oldest brotherhood in the parish of San Miguel,
the brotherhood of the Blessed Souls of Purgatory, whose patron saint is María
Magdalena.
This chapel also has a beautiful altarpiece conceived as a
triptych dedicated to Saint Ildefonso. In the central street and surrounded by
a classicist echo altarpiece from the late seventeenth century and where the
iconographic theme of the imposition of the Chasuble by the Virgin Mary is
found. In the attic, the image of God the Father in an attitude of blessing as
the creator of the entire Universe. Of great beauty are the paintings on the
predella of this altarpiece where you can see: The Annunciation, The Visitation
of Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth and the Adoration of the Child.
At the top of the painting you can read:
“Mrs. María Teresa
Márquez de Prado, widow of Mr. Fernando Nieto de Trejo Sandoval y Pacheco,
Knight of the Order of Alcántara, Marquis of Caracena Lord of the Villas of
Caracenilla, Saedón, Villa and Malpesa, Perpetual Regidor of the city of
Cuenca, He died on June 20, 1711. Patrons of this chapel, he erected at his own
expense this altar of Mr. San Ildefonso and founded and endowed four sung
masses. Year of 1712 ".
In 1720 the front of the altar of the altar of San Ildefonso
was made up and he was seated again, which took Fernando Tejero five days of
work and collected 32 reales.
In the pastoral visit carried out in 1760 we are told that
this altar of San Ildefonso was called San Babiles and that it seemed to be
typical of the church. However, in the altarpiece it is said to be that of the
Marquis of Caracena, as it has been possible to describe.
ALTARPIECE OF THE VIRGIN OF THE CONFALON
This chapel has the altarpiece of the Virgen del Confalón
titular of one of the oldest brotherhoods in the city of Segovia. This
brotherhood was founded on January 1, 1572 and was located in the former
convent of La Merced, in the city of Segovia. Originally, the foundation was
carried out in the Dominican convent of Santo Domingo, as Diego de Colmenares
tells us:
“This year the
Brotherhood of Discipline Angustias was founded in our city in the convent of
Santa Cruz on Good Friday night. And because many were getting sick and still
dying due to the distance and the wrong path, he moved to the Convent of La
Merced ”.
The royal invocation of this brotherhood was "of the name
of God and of Our Lady of Sorrows, which are two surnames and together they
were founded in the monastery of La Merced within the city of Segovia."
The celebrations they carried out responded to this double devotion. On the one
hand the New Year festivity would be celebrated and on the other it is said “of
the Sorrows of Our Lady for honor and reverence of which we promise to make a
procession of discipline on Good Friday of each year and celebrate the feast of
Our Lady of the incarnation that falls on March 25 ”. Among the articles that
regulate devotional coexistence within the brotherhood, constitution number V
stands out:
"We order that on Holy Friday of each year in the
afternoon we all get together in the said monastery of La Merced at the time
that the fluffier ..."
This brotherhood had two types of brothers. On the one hand,
those who wore black tunics and accompanied the image with light axes or
braziers of zero, who paid for their entrance 2 ducats and those who wore white
tunics “with their hoods, their backs open and with their branches to
discipline us ”. They paid 12 reales for their entry. Both the brothers of
light and the disciplinarians had to appear at the convent of La Merced at the
time summoned with the certificate of being confessed to deliver them to the
notary and other people chosen for that purpose. All together they listened to
the sermon and once it was finished the procession began through the church
nave to later go out through the different streets of the city, those of
discipline, disciplining themselves, and those of light, lighting. All in
absolute silence "with the possible devotion and in these praying for our
parents and grandparents and for those who are in pains of purgatory and mortal
sin, putting Our Lady of the Holy Virgin Mary as an intercessor who for the
seven anguish of hers to whose invocation This procession is made to be a
prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ to bring them out of the penalties of purgatory
and mortal sin and to take us all to the race of Salvation ”. If any disciplinarian
was excessively wounded, any judge or official of the same could be removed
from the procession and if someone was found in the tavern during the
procession, anyone will be forced to discover and remove the hood to be
recognized and expelled from the procession. Women, who were allowed to be
confreres, were forbidden to discipline and give birth "because it is not
a decent thing for women to be disciplining themselves or lighting up."
If any of them had special devotion, they had to give the wax
to any man so that he could shine for her. In the same way, sick, lame or
maimed people could not go out in procession, but others could do it for them,
even if they were not brothers. The procession left the church of the La Merced
convent. The children of the doctrine opened the procession lighting with wax
and they crossed different streets of the city. Among the charitable works
carried out by this brotherhood, we must highlight the construction of a
hospital to pick up the poor at night when they are homeless on the street,
accompany other brotherhoods and accompany funerals, get someone out of jail.
poor brother and feed him. The brother brothers were also in charge of
regulating and guaranteeing a good wake and burial of their brothers, as well as
the care of the widowers and widowers.
