The Ministry of Culture and Sports has tendered the conservation works of the Monastery of San Isidoro del Campo, located in the town of Santiponce (Seville), for over 3.1 million euros co-financed with FEDER Funds within the 2021-2027 Operational Program. This is the first phase of the rehabilitation of the monument, which includes the old oil mill, the granary, and the monastery’s warehouse, with a planned duration of 12 months from the start of the work.
The intervention includes the old oil mill, located in the northern area of the complex. It consists of a brick factory nave, divided into two bays by an arcade of semi-circular arches on pilasters, with gable roofs. The ceramic tile floor features large semi-buried jars. These two bays housed two mill beams, whose counterweight was located at the western end.
There will also be intervention in the granary, located in the central area, and sharing the north head with the oil mill. It is a two-story building, made of brick, with three naves separated by load-bearing walls. The ground floor is covered by barrel and ribbed vaults, and the upper floor by a wooden structure. The warehouse, on the other hand, is an auxiliary building located in former courtyards open to the east, currently enclosed by brick perimeter walls.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, has emphasized «the strong commitment of the Andalusian Government to the recovery of the monumental site of San Isidoro del Campo, a space of great historical, artistic, and architectural value that deserves to be valued for the enjoyment of citizens.» «We work to consolidate and preserve those areas of the monument that were not rehabilitated in the late 20th century,» she added.
The Minister of Culture, Patricia del Pozo, at a press conference (Archive).
In addition to the works tendered for the old oil mill, the granary, and the warehouse, the Ministry of Culture and Sports is progressing in the upcoming rehabilitation of the South and East wings of the Jerónimos cloister and the tower, a square-plan structure with brick walls, topped with a wooden spire. This intervention has a budget exceeding three million, also through FEDER Funds.
In parallel, repairs have been made to the existing fence on the eastern boundary of the monastic complex, with an investment exceeding 600,000 euros (between February and October 2021), and maintenance of the church rooftops (almost 30,000 euros, in 2023). Similarly, the canvas of the Virgin of the Antigua (17th century), located in the former sacristy, is currently being studied at the IAPH facilities.
Historical Data
The Jerónimo monastery of San Isidoro del Campo, located in the Sevillian town of Santiponce, was declared a National Artistic Monument in 1872 and, therefore, enjoys the highest heritage protection as a Cultural Heritage Site (BIC). Likewise, this property is listed in the General Catalog of Andalusian Historical Heritage, forming part of the Andalusian Cultural Spaces Network.
This enclave has its origins in a privilege granted by King Ferdinand IV of Castile to Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, Guzmán el Bueno, in 1289, in which he granted jurisdiction over Santiponce and the foundation of a monastery with a funerary chapel for him and his wife. At the chosen location for the new monastery, there was previously a hermitage, where according to tradition, the body of San Isidoro was found.
It has also been the burial place of illustrious figures, including the burials of Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, the hero of Tarifa, and his descendants, and was the first place to bury Hernán Cortés in 1547 before being transferred to Mexico. Architecturally, the fortified churches stand out, with Gothic-Mudéjar style, in whose cloisters and dependencies interesting mural paintings and canvases from the 15th and 17th centuries are preserved.
The monastery was disentailed in 1835, beginning a long period of abandonment and destruction. Some of its dependencies were used for industrial purposes, such as tobacco and beer manufacturing, and it also served as a women’s prison. These challenges were compounded by the damage caused during the Glorious Revolution of 1868, while in 1936, it was on the verge of being demolished.
Subsequently, the monastery was occupied by a small Jerónimo community between 1956 and 1978. In the 1990s, the monastery underwent a rehabilitation focused on various areas of the complex.