Bien: Iglesia Parroquial de San Jorge Igrexa Parroquial de San Xurxo
Comunidad Autónoma: C.A. Galicia
Provincia: Coruña / A Coruña
Municipio: La Coruña / a Coruña
Categoría: Monumento
Código: (R.I.) - 51 - 0004178 - 00000
Registro: (R.I.) REGISTRO BIC INMUEBLES: Código definitivo
Fecha de Incoación: 16-09-1974
Fecha de Declaración: 23-08-1975
Fecha Boletín Declaración: 23-10-1975
Disposición: DECRETO
Matiz: DECLARADOS CC.AA. ANTES L/85
"The church of San Xurxo is a baroque-style Catholic religious temple in the city of A Coruña, built between 1725 and 1906. It is located in the Plaza del Marqués de San Martín, in the vicinity of the Plaza de María Pita, on the left side of the town hall of the city of Herculaneum.
There is evidence that the parish of San Xurxo already existed in the 14th century, citing the will of the parish priest of San Nicolao in 1399 the existence of land in the "parish of San Jurjo". Later are references to the parish in the red tomb of archbishop Lope de Mendoza, in 1435.
In order to know the origin of the church it is necessary to go back to 1673, year in which the Jesuits settled down in the herculean city with a school and a residence. It was designed by Domingo de Andrade, and the work of Clemente Fernández Sarela, although its construction was carried out in several phases, all during the 18th century. From the beginning of its construction in 1725 until 1767 it was a convent of the Society of Jesus. However, the expulsion of the order of Spain carried out by Carlos III that year caused that it had happened to become in 1774 a convent of Augustinian. It was at this time when the temple underwent the greatest modifications, being realized most of its ornamentation, the lateral doors, and the presbytery, between 1704 and 1867, finalizing in 1760 the construction of the North tower.
After the exclaustración of 1836, the 24 of April of 1837 the city council sent a file to the Ministry of the Interior requesting the demolition of the church:
“... about the usefulness that will result from demolishing the parish church of San Xurxo in that city and small rectory attached to it, moving the parish to the church of the suppressed convent of Santo Agustín, because in this way it will be easier to have a neighborhood of Spacious and well located market and will provide greater healthiness and ornament to the population. ”
Finally, the old convent was destroyed to build the Town Hall in its place, while the parish of San Xurxo remained in the church. The parish priest and members of the parish board opposed the demolition, but to no avail, as finally on May 4, 1837 the Ministry of the Interior gave its approval to the demolition:
“... to accede ... to the desires of the City council of A Coruña ... and to satisfy by the one of the buildable land of the church of San Xurxo since the State yields to the one of Santo Agustín in utility of the city. ”
Already in the twentieth century, in 1906 the construction of the south tower was completed, which put an end to the long construction of the Herculean church. In 1975 it was declared a Site of Cultural Interest.
For being a church of Jesuits, its inner constructive scheme follows the one of Jesus de Vignola. The temple has a Latin cross plan with three naves and its interior is exuberantly decorated. The naves, with a half-barrel vault reinforced with gabled arches, are separated by thick pillars with semicircular arches, and the central nave is twice as wide as the side naves. The central nave is covered by an edge vault, while the transept is covered with a ribbed ribbed vault with a very prominent arch and a small lantern in the center. The enormous pilasters organize the interior space in tamos, besides maintaining an entablature of doric order with a frieze of triglyphs and metopes. The transept has a single nave and a head with a tripartite organization, in which the central apse is deeper and higher than those on the sides. The apse owns an edge vault.
It emphasizes the tribune on the two lateral ships, that cross longitudinally crosses the temple, allowing the Jesuit community to attend the cult without mixing with the faithfuls.
Also it is necessary to emphasize the altars that there are in both ends of the transept, that contain two tables representing the Announcement and the Souls in Purgatory, work of Agustín Robles.
The facade is a salient body, work of Merciful Fernandez Sarela, is typically baroque, in which a great rectangular hollow presides over the composition.
In the protruding body of the façade there are two large Doric columns on a podium on each side of the door, framing the side ovens. The central band superimposes a tripartite scheme of door-stove-window, and an aedicule with fins, as it happens with the architecture of Simón Rodríguez. The side towers, in three bodies, are slightly behind the rest of the facade.
The decoration is based on plates, that can be trimmed and small, elongated and finished off in disc, or pendants. The images stand out, whose authorship is not known for sure, but which were possibly sculpted by Escudero's sons from A Coruña. These sculptures depict St. George (above the main door), which is flanked by images of St. Margaret and St. Lucia. [4]
In front of the church is a cross made of granite. It is flanked by images of St. Roch, St. Lucia, St. Margaret, and St. Nicholas, which are found on pilasters with inscriptions and bas-reliefs of life and the Passion of Christ. The platform is quadrangular with three degrees of flight, while the pedestal on which it sits is quadrangular and very framed. On the other hand, the clothesline is of octagonal section, which contrasts with the octagonal section of the smooth pedestal. The capital also has an octagonal section with fig leaves, while the cross has a circular section with flowered ends.
On the obverse of the cross can be seen Christ Crucified with three nails, with his head bowed to the right and his hands closed, wearing the crown of thorns, cloth of purity and inscription of INRI. On the reverse is a praying Virgin with her hands with her fingers intertwined on a pedestal supported by an angel with wings.
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