Once Segovia was definitively reconquered, the restoration of the parishes, which had existed before, and the construction of others began. In the northern part of the walled area, many parishes arose, whose towers helped defend the population, serving as bastions and watchtowers.
Within the walls, the most important parish was that of San Martín; it already had its library for the use of the parishioners, something rare then. Between it and that of Santa Columba, which was the main one outside the walls, most of the royal street was distributed.
As the old Mozarabic enclosure of San Martín still existed, it was necessary to make an extension adapted to the new times; This is how Romanesque constructions arose between the 12th and 13th centuries and even later, in the survival of the style that prevailed in the city.
The most primitive Romanesque is the head, in the form of a transept, with its dome and three apses. Later, the tower, the atriums, and the "narthex" in front of the main door began to emerge. Over time the temple was complemented with Gothic and Baroque elements, as we will see later.
- THE CROSSING AND THE ABSIDES
Attached to the primitive enclosure, the dome and the two arms of the transept were built. Inside it is not easy to study it because it is still whitewashed. However, it is clear that the octagonal dome sits on tubes, and has an Arabic ribbed vault, as in the church of San Millán, and that with it it constitutes a valuable Moorish specimen.
Externally, the dome presents a baroque molding on the eaves of the roof; but the latest restorations have revealed, below it, the remains of the Romanesque corbels that used to exist there, and some of them have even been redone. The arms of the transept retain their Romanesque corbels on the outside.
As many parts of this construction reviewed are made of brick, it can be assumed that the vault of the dome is also made of brick, which would accentuate its interest the day it is discovered.
Of the main apse of the temple, only its externally straight part remains with its corbels. Inside, covered as it is with large canvases and baroque wallpaper and a large plaster cornice, nothing shows its Romanesque lines. It is possible to suppose that very valuable elements are hidden there and even a double arcade, as in San Millán.
In reality, what has disappeared from the main apse is only the semicircular part, replaced by the rectangular head; that is to say, that the space that was gained with the extension of the presbytery was very scarce, and it is reduced only to the small difference between a rectangle and a semicircle. Very little, certainly, in exchange for the loss of what could have been the most beautiful apse in Segovia, judging by the Romanesque structure of San Martín that has been preserved and that must have been a capital piece there.
Dominica Contreras supposes that the beautiful 16th century window that was recently ordered to be restored in Segovia was also from said apse. In the study carried out by Víctor Izquierdo Alcaide, on "The Stained Glass Window of the Renaissance of Segovia, year
1970. (Romanesque Churches and old Cathedral) says: In the Parish of San Martín there were stained glass windows that represent "The Crucifixion and Saint Martin giving half of his cape to a poor man""It is interesting to note that, at a time when The tradition and esteem of the stained glass window had been lost, in Segovia this language was still valid. If the old Romanesque apse was thrown away, the stained glass windows were preserved". «The two Stained Glass Windows are elongated and finished in the shape of a semicircular arch, according to the structure of the openings of Romanesque architecture". «Both Stained Glass Windows... are very well explained by the place they would occupy in the Main Chapel of the Church " «As for its author, we know that in 1579 Juan de Navarrete was paid for the stained glass windows he made for this Church".
We hope that these stained glass windows will be returned to this Parish to be contemplated and admired by its parishioners.
- SIDE APSES
The right lateral apse has two beautiful windows on the outside, and, below, an archway very similar to the one on the inside of the apses of the parishes of the Sma. Trinidad and San Millán.
The set appeared extremely mutilated since a sacristy was attached in the 18th century, now non-existent.
The left apse is simpler, although it also has an archway started on the outside under the windows. Externally it is partly underground, due to the unevenness of the terrain, and partly hidden by later attached constructions and even having a covered window.
- TOWER
Actually, until very few years ago, it was unknown that it was Mudejar, since it was covered by whitewash. Primitively it could have had a four-water roof as a finish. The current spire was placed in the middle of the 17th century and had to be repaired and even redone on different occasions, according to data from the parish archive: "In 1669, 1,600 reales and 22 maravedies had to be spent on its repair. In 1702, 206 reales were spent, in 330 reales were spent in 1717, 200 reales were spent in 1723 and in the Fourteenth of 1724 it was necessary to renew everything by borrowing a good part of the wheat from the parish Alhóndiga. its entirety subtracting its beauty, for not having redone the railing that it had, and the other elements that enhanced it.
On October 13, 1749, lightning destroyed part of the capital, and fortunately the temple was saved, which could also have been destroyed. For this reason, three days later, solemn religious acts took place in the temple, in which the music chapel of the parish of Santa Columba performed. The repair of the spire and roofs of the temple cost 1637 reales and 18 maravedies. For many years, a Eucharistic function continued to be celebrated in the temple in memory of the lightning strike that was about to ruin the temple.
The tower is mounted, as it has been said, in the center of the Mozarabic building, on its four pillars. It has three bodies: the first two with mullioned windows with stone columns and carved capitals. The last body has four windows with bent arches on each side. The bodies are separated by brick cornices, which is the entire tower. It belongs to the first half of the 12th century and can be related to the brick Romanesque of Cuéllar y Arévalo.
Mounting the Romanesque tower on the primitive construction made it necessary to build a spiral staircase adjacent to one of the outer walls up to the height of the vaults and, from there, passing over them, it was possible to climb to the top. Today, with the latest restorations, the access to the top of the tower has been modified, but it is perforce still done on the Mozarabic vaults. The tower suffered later in 1660, due to the citizen revolts, already mentioned, but it was faithfully rebuilt.