Thomas Becket and a link to Spain

Thomas Becket and a link to Spain
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By h.b. - May 21, 2009 - 12:58 PM
Frescos in Castilla y León tell his story

Earliest known portrayal of Thomas Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral - Wikipedia

The notorious murder of Thomas Becket, the 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed at the altar for defying King Henry II, has been represented in countless works since his death.

It’s a little-known fact however that the ruins of a Romanesque church in Castilla y León are also home to an illustration of how Becket met his end in December of 1170.

A series of frescoes representing Thomas Becket’s murder were rediscovered in the late 1970s in the 13th century Church of San Nicolás in Soria city centre. Said to be in excellent condition at the time, they were protected with nothing more than a wooden board and a glass panel. The paintings were only seen over the following years thanks to photographs taken through gaps in the protective covering.

A crew from the BBC arrived in Soria this May, where City Hall had agreed to allow them and some of the Spanish media to view the paintings. The protective coverings were removed, but half the work was seen to have vanished, the BBC says. Previously the property of the Catholic Church, San Nicolás has been under City Hall ownership for the past five years and the Mayor of Soria, Carlos Martínez, has announced a restoration plan for the ruins to hopefully save the paintings from any further deterioration.

So what is the connection between Soria and Thomas Becket? Becket was archdeacon of Canterbury when King Henry asked the then Archbishop, Theobald, to recommend a candidate as his Chancellor. Becket took on the role and became a close friend and confidant of the monarch, but matters changed when Theobald died in 1161 and the king convinced Becket to become Archbishop of Canterbury.

The struggle for power between church and crown led to Becket defying his king, and the monarch purportedly uttering those famous words, ‘Will no-one rid me of that turbulent priest?’
The king’s words were interpreted as a royal command, and Becket was murdered by four of King Henry’s knights on 29th December 1170 while he was praying at Canterbury Cathedral. He was canonised three years after his death, and a repentant Henry gave public penance at Becket’s tomb.

In Spain, Alfonso VIII of Castile came to the crown in 1170, and later that year married Eleanor Plantaganet, a daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England. The new queen of Castile was just nine years old and the king aged 15. Part of the king’s wedding gift to his new bride, El País reports, was the city of Soria, and it was there that the young queen decided to pay homage to her father’s old friend by commissioning the paintings depicting his death.

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