If you are teaching the MECD-British Council integrated curriculum, you know how interesting can be using elements to make a strong British-Spanish connection for your students. Some are well known, like the story of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, but some are not. The altarpiece of the small village of Anento in Zaragoza province, Aragon, has one of these less known connections. It is a gothic masterpiece painted by Blasco de Grañén in the 15th century which shows three stories about our Lady of Mercy, Saint Blaise and Saint Thomas Becket. Yes, Thomas Becket, the saint of Canterbury appears here and this is because his murder was a prefiguration of the problems the archbishops of Zaragoza faced at the beginning of the 15th century, a time of political instability in the Crown of Aragon. If you want to know more about this beautiful altarpiece, you can read this book, in Spanish, M.C. Lacarra, Retablo de San Blas, de la Virgen de la Misericordia y de Santo Tomás Becket de la iglesia parroquial de Anento (Zaragoza).

The whole story of Saint Thomas Becket

Murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury.