M. C. Garcia Ferre and G. It barceló French
St. George was martyred by the Roman emperor Diocletian around the year 303 a. C., near Lydda (now Lod near Tel Aviv) Israel. His cult, began to expand throughout Christendom from the s. VI appears in the "Stories of the Martyrs" at St. Bede s. VIII. But the real development of religion in Europe took place mainly in the Middle Ages and many authors attribute this to the Crusades.
In England, has a special symbolic importance with the result that the crusade was held in Palestine English King Richard the Lionheart (Richard the lionheart’s) of the 1189 al 1192. The English king was restored to Christianity those territories where were the relics of St.. That is why King Richard took as skipper of his own cavalry St. (English soldiers still have with the landlord himself, who is also England, and its flagship stayed to the flag of Great Britain, called the "Union Jack"). It is quite possible that this event will begin with worship pattern, with both religious knightly, in Europe.
On the other hand, as a result of the legends about the Crusades will be extending the legend of St. George and the Dragon, be based on the Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda, where the latter was rescued by Perseus in the hands of a sea monster. The Christian authors relate the legend with the struggle of good and evil. The legend appeared with Saint George knight savior of the king's daughter from the hands of a dragon in exchange for the Christianization of the people. All these things were the embodiment of the Holy Christian cavalry of the Middle Ages. The knights wore their Tabards the red cross on a white background which then appears in all its iconography.
In the thirteenth century, the Crown of Aragon, King James I became his patron Holy and put his troops under the protection of the character. It is quite possible that the pattern estiguera influenced by the Crusades. We must have clear that the spirit of the Reconquest Peninsula was especially important socioeconomic reasons, but at the same time, There was a sense very similar to the religious Crusades: fighting Muslims in an attempt to recover the lands recognized Christianity as its. Jaume I tried the same year 1209 organized an expedition to the Holy Land could not perform satisfactorily.
Gradually extending the patronage of St. George throughout Europe: Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Russia, Catalonia and England make their. Moreover they extending the Orders of Chivalry dedicated to his name, A l’any 1201 Aragon appears in the Military Order of St. George Alfama. In England 1347 Edward III founded the Order of the Jerretera (Order of the Garter) they had no religious character, but rather tried to reward riders at a time when the cavalry was already in decline.
XXII century European literature and especially the XIII and XIV, offering a wide panorama of the Christian gentleman called the cavalry novel •: The de Gaulle Emetis, Tirant lo Blanc and Curial e Guelph, reflect this sense of chivalry and adventure that will be recovered before the romantic historical novel • in the eleventh century. the same Cervantes, San appoints the "Fall".
The iconography of St. George is extensive. Depicted standing, Croatian armed as a knight; also found in the Cathedral of Charters in France, the famous sculpture by Donatello in Florence, in the paintings of Mantegna and Venetian paintings in Catalonia J. Huguet. This iconography is taking the Sant Jordi "The old man" who have bathtubs. Another is the iconography featuring St George on horseback, as shown in the Cathedral of Prague or the Palau de la Generalitat, a Barcelona.
The iconography is also represented St. George slaying the dragon, based on the legend; thus we see in paintings of Rafael, Rubens ... and all current representations existing village.
In the church of Santa Anastasia Verona are painted by Pisanello episodes from the life of St., and tables with Gothic Bernat Martorell in Catalonia.
It should be noted as shown Sant Jordi represented Alcoy. In the neighboring city is represented in the act of killing the corn; this is a unique case in which he could give a historical sense quite important if we consider the relationship of St. George with everything we have said before; the idea of Christian medieval knight fighting the infidels, against Muslims.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Cambridge Dictionary on English Heritage.
Garcia de Cortazar, The medieval.
History of Spain, Alfaguara II.
