Ansó. Church of San Pedro (St. Peter). 16th century
The church of St Peter in Anso was built in the middle of the 16th century. Its origins are well documented and the construction was carried out by several master builders, including Esteban de Olariaga, Ochea and Bartolomé de Hemosa.
The first thing the visitor notices is the magnificent size of the building. The floorplan is in the shape of a Latin cross with a single nave, a polygonal apse and a choir gallery at the western end where the unadorned rectangular bell tower is also located. The impressive entrance to the church is protected by a star-ribbed vaulted porch, which shows similarities in style to the tomb of Bishop Baguer in Jaca cathedral.
The interior has strong vertical lines. The vaults are star-ribbed with complex designs which start from a classical-style cornice that surrounds the whole church.
Together with the figures of the four Evangelists on the pillars of the transept and those in the chancel, the main Barroque altarpiece dating from the end of the 17th century also deserves a closer look. It is polygonal and divided into three sections by Solomonic columns. The central section is occupied by the figure of St Peter seated on a Bishop’s throne and the lateral sections by figures of St John the Baptist and St Paul.
There are other pieces of value, such as the four Romanist altarpieces in the arms of the transept and in the main body of the nave. One of these is a panel painting of St Domingo of Guzman while the other three are sculptures (Our Lady of the Rosary, St Sebastian and St Francis of Assisi) carried out by Agustin Jalon in the 17th century.