Introduction

The door that opens on the west side of the old collegiate church of Tudela, now a cathedral, is known as the Door of Judgement, due to the theme of the archivolts, which present scenes of the Last Judgement. The tympanum is not decorated today, but it must have been, either sculpturally or pictorially; Christ the Judge would probably appear on it, with other elements typical of this representation.

Its chronology has been controversial, as when it was studied as a Romanesque work it was attributed a very early date, from the end of the 12th century. However, it is already an early Gothic work, incorporating the pointed arch, and is related to the sculpture of Chartres. It can be dated to around 1230-1240.

The Tudela doorway is an exceptional case, as the space dedicated to hell far exceeds the limits that Gothic doorways usually dedicate to it topic. Almost the entire right half (depending on the viewer) of the portal is dedicated to hell, while similar scenes in other Hispanic cathedrals such as León or Burgos dedicate no more than a few voussoirs or a small space in the lintel to this topic . As E. Aragonés has pointed out, the most notable aspect is the diversification of sins and the variety of punishable activities in relation to them. For example, from the simple representation of lust as a woman attacked by reptiles to the punishment of adulterers, homosexuals, etc... In this way, Gothic introduces clear and didactic images of punishment, as opposed to the Romanesque of more symbolic and abstract visions.