Huesca - San Pedro el Viejo

The Monasterio de San Pedro el Viejo ("Saint Peter the Old") is a former Benedictine monastery, built within the 12th century. A church had existed here (built on the place of a Roman temple) since Visigothic times and even, when the Moors hold Huesca, this church was in use.

Christian troops conquered Huesca in 1096 and from 1117 on Benedictines with obvious ties to Cluny reconstructed the church and erected a monasterio here. The Benedictian monastery needed a decent cloister. This got erected adjoining the church around 1140. Many of the capitals were carved by the "Master of Agüero" (aka "Master of San Juan de la Peña") or his workshop.

The doors below this tympanum lead from the cloister to the nave of the church. At least three chrismons can be found on tympana in San Pedro el Viejo.

This one, hold by two angels, is one of them. Below are the Magi, adoring the Virgin and Child. The scene seems like "organized" by a family-photographer. All pictured persons here face the audience.
Even the Magi, who is just handing over his present, has turned his face to the onlooker. Joseph, who can often be found contemplating (sleeping) in this scene, is greeting the audience.

The Magi can often be found along the pilgrim-routes. Cluny, the burgundian abbey, that was highly important to develop these routes, may have "distributed" this scene. Just like the Magi followed the "Star of Bethlehem", the pilgrims followed the camino on their way to CompoSTELLA.

The scene is framed by two objects, that look like christmas-trees, but they must stand for something different, as Christmas trees were "invented" in the Alsace around 1500.