He Will Make Alive Your Mortal Bodies: Cluniac Spirituality and the Tomb of Alfonso Ansúrez

Abstract

One of the recognized masterpieces of Spanish Romanesque art is the richly decorated lid of a sarcophagus that was installed in the monastery of San Benito de Sahagún in León for Alfonso Ansúrez, a young Spanish nobleman who died in 1093. Recently the iconography of the enigmatic sculpted images was interpreted in terms of Roman liturgy, which had been newly adopted in the kingdom of León-Castile. While this explanation sheds much light on the significance of the individual motifs, it does not address the striking compositional differences between the Ansúrez monument and other contemporary funereal representations of the theme of salvation. This article will approach the problem by focusing on the importance of Cluniac influence, given the substantial history of interaction between the Leonese royalty and the mother abbey, Saint-Pierre de Cluny, of which Sahagún was an important dependent. This relationship will be discussed in the context of the Cluniac system of confraternities and celebrations of the dead. With reference to specific Cluniac liturgical formulae, a new interpretation of the decorative program on the Leonese sarcophagus lid will be offered. Most importantly, the article seeks to emphasize the significance of works of art as historical documents. It will be suggested that the tomb of Alfonso Ansúrez may be viewed not only as a reflection of specific medieval beliefs concerning death and resurrection, but also as a witness to contemporary liturgical practices as they existed at Sahagún, recognized at that time as the functional equivalent of Cluny in Spain.