The parish church of Santo Domingo de Silos in Prádena del Rincón

On the north façade, and covered by the aforementioned portico, there is a portal that can also be ascribed to the Madrid Mudejar style, and which typologically can be dated to the XNUMXth century. It presents a structure formed by an arch composed of four semicircular threads that are extended by the staggered jambs by means of an impost with a nacelle profile, framed by means of two pilasters that are closed at the top with two superimposed brick friezes, already in a corner. sardinel, forming an alfiz. Model that is related to the Castilian Mudejar and of which some examples are preserved in Madrid churches in the Sierra area, dated in the late XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, such as those of El Berrueco, Montejo de la Sierra, Manjirón, Horcajuelo or Paredes de Buitrago, with which it shows a great similarity.

At a time immediately after the construction of the portico, towards the end of the XNUMXth century, the current apse of greater height and width than the nave on whose walls it rests was raised. It shows a masonry factory arranged from the base to the cornice, carved in stone and with a chamfered profile, which rests on corbels decorated with modillions, barrels, balls or bevels. In the axis there is a loophole framed by ashlars of a certain irregularity, and on the south side a lintel span made up of four large ashlars. Internally, the hemicycle is covered with a quarter-sphere vault and the presbyterial straight section, with a pointed half-barrel vault; both start from an impost with a nacelle profile that runs along the walls.

No remains of any collapse or destruction of the previous apse have been found, so probably the intention of building a new head would be to expand the space, so the factory must have been demolished and reused for the new work. Remains of a wall have also been detected that would be raised to close the nave at the height of the triumphal arch while the new chevet was being built, and which would be thrown away once it was completed, leaving a mark on the north and south walls of the nave.

Consequently, it can be seen how both the primitive construction and the rear apse respond to a rural Romanesque character located in small towns, where, in general, the model described above is followed. However, the existing Romanesque examples in the Madrid region are very scarce, partly because they have been lost as they have been replaced by other later constructions, but also because at this time many of the churches were built in the Mudejar style. Properly Romanesque, the church of the monastery of San Julián and San Antonio de La Cabrera (late XNUMXth century), the head of the church of the monastery of Santa María de Valdeiglesias in Pelayos de la Presa (late XNUMXth-XNUMXth century) is preserved in its entirety. ) and the apse of the church of San Juan Bautista in Talamanca de Jarama (late XNUMXth century), there are some other headwaters, but much transformed, and some other walls and doorways.

On the other hand, in relation to the Mudejar constructions, Dr. Lavado believes that the historical circumstances of the Madrid region, with a late repopulation, as well as the economic conditions of the rural area, which did not allow choosing styles that needed a high investment, they conditioned the construction models, opting on many occasions for the Mudejar, which brought together the qualities and conditions suitable for that moment. A style that was already perfectly assumed by the Christian population of the Toledo and Castilian Mudejar focus, and whose way of construction allowed the erection of buildings quickly and without major technical problems. Proof of this are the numerous cases of temples with Mudejar remains that appear in the Madrid region, some of the most prominent are in the churches of Valdilecha, Los Milagros in Talamanca del Jarama, Camarma de Esteruelas, Santorcaz, Pezuela de las Torres , Móstoles, Cubas de la Sagra, Boadilla del Monte or the hermitage of Santa María la Antigua in Carabanchel, among others, dating from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries.

The pictorial decoration that covered the walls of the nave corresponds to the first half of the XNUMXth century. In the north wall the most significant remains are concentrated, representing a Crucifixion of which the touched and covered silhouette of the figure of the Virgin and the covered head of the crucified Christ can be seen; the figure of Saint John is hidden by the superimposed image of Saint Christopher, who is represented with the crook in his right hand and the Child on his left shoulder. On the south wall there are remains of figures and objects that seem to respond to different scenes that have not been able to be identified with precision. 

In addition, halfway up the walls of the nave there are five red kicked crosses inscribed in a circular frame with a white background, which correspond to the consecration ritual of the temple, which would take place once the new headboard was completed. 

In the opinion of Dr. Manzarbeitia, although very lost, the paintings stylistically seem to respond to the advanced linear style of the first half of the fourteenth century. Despite their precarious state of preservation, they constitute a notable example of the linear Gothic style in the Community of Madrid. They also have the value of being one of the few testimonies of the consecration rituals of the temples by means of these crosses. The image of Saint Christopher is also noteworthy, as it is the only representation of medieval mural painting of this saint in the Community. 

In the intrados of the entrance arch to the head, in its upper part, there are two footprints that, probably, would serve to place a large wooden beam, which could be related to a group of sculptures that appeared sandwiched in the wall east of the north portico, representing the Virgin and Saint John. It would be an example of the so-called "beams of glory", in which the sculptural group representing Calvary was placed, although in Prádena the figure of the Crucified Christ has not been located. In the opinion of Dra. De la Morena, the sense of volume and treatment of the fabrics with abundant folds, as well as the expression of the sentiment of their faces and gestures, allow the sculptures to be dated to the XNUMXth century. 

Later, between the second half of the fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth, the nave was extended by the western wall adding a section of five meters long, which has been reflected in the walls of the previous building, by means of a projection that it runs vertically where the new factory is attached. This section had to be raised in order to expand the nave after the construction of the new head, creating a temple more suited to the needs of the population. 

A first high choir was installed in this space, which was subsequently modified on several occasions. In addition, according to the Visitor's Books, the baptismal chapel was located in the basement, remaining in this location until the XNUMXth century, where the baptismal font would be found, currently located on the side of the gospel at the entrance to the head. It is a Renaissance basin, made of limestone, composed of a quadrangular base and a short shaft grooved between two scribbled moldings, where the hemispherical cup decorated with inclined gallons rests, to finish off in a smooth frieze and a scribbled molding. 

This chapel communicated with the outside through a Mudejar brick span, now blinded, formed by a semicircular arch with two threads that rest on its jambs by means of an impost with a nacelle profile, framed by an alfiz decorated in its upper part with a corner frieze. In the west wall there is a double window, currently almost completely lost, finished off in the upper part by a frieze also in a corner. 

On the south wall of the nave, traces of a first pulpit with stone stairs integrated into the wall have been detected. It had a wooden balcony of which traces of attachment have remained, later it was modified. 

At this time, a stonework wall was also erected in the access arch to the semicircular section of the apse, in order to use the space created between it and the hemicycle as a sacristy, remaining until 1634, when the new sacristy was built and demolished. the wall. 

During the XNUMXth century the bell tower was built on the straight section of the head, although some authors think that there could have been a previous tower or belfry. For this, an exterior covering of the walls of the presbytery was carried out in all its height by means of a folded wall made of masonry with ashlars on the elbows. Attached to the south side, a quadrangular body was built, also in masonry, where the spiral staircase carved in stone was located to access the body of bells. It seems that initially it had four holes for the bells on the east and west sides, which were later probably modified to adapt them to the size of new ones, since the current ones date from the XNUMXth century. 

In relation to the tower would be the furnace for melting bells located in the southwest area, next to the south portico of the church. It is a bell smelting furnace formed by a casting in the rock for the foundry pit and five molds or bell structures on circular brick plinths with loopholes, and traces of a sixth, which constitutes an exceptional example. By detecting thermoluminescence of the ceramic remains, it has been possible to date between the mid-sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. However, the size of the molds does not correspond to any of the bells that currently exist. 

Between the years 1526 and 1528 the south portico was erected or an important reform was carried out in it, since in the documentation it is said that a Basque master is paid to do works on the "new" portico. It is made up of a masonry and wood structure, covered by a pair and row roof with tie rods, supported by an architrave running on wooden footings and pillars that rest on a masonry breastplate topped by a semicircular coping. 

A few years later, in 1534, construction began on a new sacristy located on the south wall between the access spindle to the tower and the aforementioned south portico, adjoining both. It is made up of a very simple quadrangular space that houses a carved wooden box from the XNUMXth century. 

In the seventeenth century, the wooden armor covering the nave had to be built, replacing a previous one, since the analysis of the wood of the roof has given the oldest date the year 1621, but it has been possible to verify that it has suffered various interventions over time. 

During the 1751th and XNUMXth centuries, small-scale and maintenance works were carried out. The most outstanding was the closing of the arches of the north portico in XNUMX, by means of parapets in which the masonry and brick are combined, in order to form a large space attached to the temple for the junk of the church and other destinations. and at the same time give security to the church for this part, according to the documents. 

In 1761 the new collateral altarpieces were assembled, and in 1777 a new gilded metal pulpit with a tornavoz was commissioned, replacing the original open stone in the wall that was blinded. 

During the twentieth century, due to the poor condition of the walls of the nave, the interior was lined with an advanced wall separated by means of rails and plaster, thus forming a lining inside the nave; the lower choir is closed with a brick partition and the north portico becomes a parish hall.