Castle Loarre, Queen's Chapel, Capitals, Church of San Pedro. Chapel of Santa Maria

Castle Loarre, near the village of the same name, is on the tentative World Heritage list. Hope for fast processing, because this is a wonder of 11th Century original structures, never cannoned, never overtaken.  It fell by the literal wayside once it was no longer needed for defense against the Moors, and after incorporating an Augustinian monastery within its walls was not profitable enough. See http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5135/

Castle Loarre, Loarre, Spain

Given a choice between seeing Gothic or seeing Romanesque, I choose Romanesque every time. To me, Gothic is intimidating, a power play, the institution is in control and heretics be burned.  Romanesque is tolerant. For a history of this fine castle and its Romanesque heritage, then tainted by Augustinians (say I), see this Aragon tourism site, http://www.turismodearagon.com/files/Loarre%20ingl%C3%A9sInd.PDF

Castle Loarre, Access path, Spain

Is the interior of this religious space the Queen's Chapel, and is the larger structure the Church of San Pedro? Or is the Church of San Pedro a part that the monks had built when the castle incorporated a monastery? I will call all these Queen's Chapel, because it is smaller than I expect the monastery's church would be. Am trying to confirm. The chapel has also been called the Santa Maria Chapel, see the statue below.  These distinctions blur as a tourist not speaking Spanish.

Loarre Castle, Queen's Chapel, Spain;  original alabaster window (thin, transparent stone); Romanesque capital with leaves, horsemen?

Loarre Castle, Queen's Chapel, Spain sunset window and capitals

Loarre Castle, Queen's Chapel, Spain; capital, rosette design, seated figures,

The rosette motif is ancient, with examples from Mesopotamia, see http://www.egyptorigins.org/rosettesx.htm.

It came to mean, as it morphed into a rose, a symbol of secrecy -- sub rosa -- matters discussed under the rose (a carving above the council door, for example), were not to be revealed.   See discussion of the rosette at Castle Burg Eltz in Germany.

Loarre Castle Church of San Pedro, capital, fish, river, reeds, hearts? Is that a papyrus? Is this Moses??

Loarre Castle, capital in Queen's Chapel, Daniel in lion's den?

Madonna and child, Loarre Castle sculpture, Queen's Chapel, Loarre Castle, Spain. 

This may well be known also as the Santa Maria Chapel.  The dark outline just appeared.  I am not a photoshopper. Is this part of automatic fix?

Loarre Castle, Capital, Queen's Chapel, angel with wonderful wings

Queen's Chapel, Loarre Castle, Capital, Celtic-type basketweave capital, from Visigoth influence? Spain

Saint Luke with the Eagle? Loarre Castle, Queen's Chapel, Spain

Queen's Chapel, Loarre Castle, Spain. Uneasy lies the crowned head?  Whose?

Loarre Castle, Queen's Chapel, scary tangle Capital, Spain

The best of Spain is the Pyrenees area.