This
chapel has had different names throughout history: Los Rueda Chapel, Los Luna
Chapel and finally Santa Bárbara Chapel. The dedication of this chapel is
closely related to the Artillery Academy that annually celebrates its patronal
feast, Santa Bárbara, in this church of San Miguel.
Under the
modern altarpiece of Santa Bárbara there is a large painting with the battle of
San Miguel that has the label that says “Don Antonio de Navacerrada gave it so
that the parish could do whatever it wanted”. In the year 1720, when one of the
greatest works was carried out in the church, it was documented that "the
inset of San Miguel was made in the Los Rueda chapel because the altarpiece it
had was very old and extremely indecent".
In this
reform carried out in 1720, the Gothic Sorrowful Christ was placed in this chapel
of the Rueda family (which today is found in the so-called “altar of the
Minerva” since it is documented that the spikes needed to place it cost 12
reales. and 17 maravedíes to the officials and teachers who placed the carving.
This
chapel has one of the most beautiful “bed” tombs in the city, along with that
of the Herrera family in San Martín. The alabaster tomb of Diego de Rueda and
his wife, Mencía Álvarez del Río, has the characteristic Plateresque
decoration.
This tomb
was located in the old Romanesque church of San Miguel, in the center of the
chapel that Don Diego had provided for his burial. When it was transferred to
the new one, it was placed to one side and therefore perspective is lost to see
its complete decoration.
In the
upper part are the recumbent statues of the Rueda and on the sides, under the
venerated niche flanked by angels dressed in tunics, the following scenes:
Weeping over the dead Christ, Calvary with Saint John and the Virgin and Burial
of Christ.
