Iglesia de Santa María de la Asunción, Dueñas

The church of Santa María de la Asunción is a temple of Catholic worship located in the Plaza de la Paz in the town of Dueñas, in the province of Palencia. It is part, therefore, of the Historic-Artistic Ensemble that makes up its historic centre, a title it has held since 1967, enjoying full protection.

It began to be built at the end of the 12th century, so it corresponds to a style of transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and its interior is a magnificent example of what has come to be known as late Romanesque or Proto-Gothic in the Cistercian tradition.

It is under the patronage of the Assumption of Mary, whose feast day is celebrated on August 15. It has been the historic parish of the town and continues to serve as such, sharing worship since December 7, 2015 with the Gothic chapel of the old Hospital de Santiago.

Historically, the diocese of Palencia was divided into four large archdeaconries, with Dueñas belonging to the latter, to Alcor. It also became the head of one of its archpriesthoods, formed by the towns of Montealegre de Campos, Villalba de los Alcores, Autilla del Pino, Paradilla del Monte, Valoria del Alcor, Trigueros del Valle, Quintanilla de Trigueros, Santa Cecilia del Alcor, Cubillas de Santa Marta, Corcos del Valle or Palazuelos. Nowadays, it is part of the diocese of Palencia and the archpriesthood of Cerrato.

Due to the historical weight of Dueñas, its main church had an important parish chapter formed by 12 preste beneficiaries, 4 deacons, 3 subdeacons and 8 graderos. Of the twelve presbyters, only three of them held the curacy, that is, the cure of souls or cura animarum and, therefore, were the only ones authorized to administer the holy sacraments. This large chapter was in charge of officiating all the divine offices and the countless masses, memorials and anniversaries paid for by the faithful for the salvation of their souls. The obtaining of a benefit or prebend was regulated by the synods of each diocese, based on canon law. In Palencia it was established that the election of the prebends or benefits fell on the bishops themselves and they were granted through a competition-opposition that supposed the accomplishment of an exam where, in general, it was necessary to demonstrate a series of knowledge, as well as the analysis of some theological or canonical text. Among the requirements for access to an ecclesiastical benefice were to possess patrimoniality, to be the minimum age necessary and to be free of any canonical impediment.

The monumental architecture of this church and, especially, the artistic wealth that it treasures in its interior makes it one of the most important monumental ensembles of the region, with carvings of great quality and importance, work of artists such as Gregorio Fernández or Diego de Siloé, where it is worth mentioning the set that constitutes its high altar, formed by a magnificent Hispanic-Flemish style altarpiece, an original choir stalls and the pantheon of the Counts of Buendía.