Iglesia de San Juan de los Caballeros

(Segovia)

San Juan de los Caballeros church, belonging to the late 11th century, is one of the oldest churches in Segovia and was probably built over a pre-Christian basilica, from which it maintains the religious space distribution. The name of San Juan de los Caballeros (of the Noblemen) comes from the fact of housing the burials of the Nobles Linajes (Noble Lineages) of the city. In 1905 the artist Daniel Zuloaga bought and restored it, using the church as his home and workshop on ceramic, and lately into the museum of the Zuloaga family, displaying a collection of ceramic pieces and documents. The building and museum belongs in the present time to the country. In the encircling garden and enclosure, commonly known as “Los Zuloagas”, cultural activities are housed in summer. The Museum is set up inside the ancient church of San Juan de los Caballeros (11th-13th centuries). Structured in three naves with a three-headed apse. It also has arcades heading south and west. In the last one, it’s worth pointing out the Gothic doorway. It preserves remains of a Visigoth church (6th century) It was saved from collapsing by the artist Daniel Zuloaga, who set up there his workshop. In the museum, the visitor can find paintings from Ignacio Zuloaga, and oil paintings, watercolour paintings and ceramics of Daniel and his sons. Inside the church we may find also the burials of the Nobles Linajes (Noble Lineages) people, to whose founders, Fernan Garcia and Dia Sanz, the legend attributes the conquest of Madrid.