THE ARTISTIC HISTORICISM AS A MECHANISM OF POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LEGITIMACY. ANTONIO LOPEZ FERREIRO AND THE SECOND INVENTIO OF THE APOSTLE SAINT JAMES IN COMPOSTELA

In this paper we aim to collect some of the ideological parameters that led Lopez Ferreiro to reconstruct the crypt of the Cathedral of Santiago making use of the historicist style to legitimate the holy remains recovered in the second inventio, within a context of enthusiastic scientific and historiographic activity, when de polemic about the authenticity of the relics of the Apostle accentuated. In addition, this event is part of the pretensions of Archbishop Paya y Rico, openly confronted with Lopez Ferreiro and his lobby. Our reflection presents the sources and publications created by the own churchwarden, as well as the documents related to the project, consulted in the archive of the Cathedral of Santiago, and the subsequent bibliography. We will try to demonstrate that each design of each element orchestrated by the churchwarden is pursuing the identification of the material object with a cultural and historical idea which evocates a particular power and religiosity based on the first and twelfth century.