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France/Spain 2011
Day 10 - 26th March - Santa María del Naranco (Part 1)
We started off the day by visiting the Palace Chapel of King Ramiro I of Asturias, San Miguel de Lillo. I didn't know where the rest of the palace was (we visited another building later, but presumably everything else had been wood or was otherwise destroyed).
Sign pointing out it's a Pre-Romanesque monument
Unfortunately it was under renovation.
Back view
Door
Guy on morning mountain walk
Guy cycling up a very steep slope. Most Spanish cyclists wear very professional gear.
Next was the splended Santa María del Naranco, also pre-Romanesque. It was built as a palace but was later converted into a church.
Unfortunately it was swarming with a Spanish elderly tour group.
For some strange reason it reminded me of:
Probably because it was elevated, on a hill and the porch was large. Or maybe I was just feeling whimsical that morning.
Off-side view
Member of the group and church
The city it overlooked (Oviedo) wasn't as pretty though
View of the graceful pillars
The Rough Guide proclaimed this "the greatest Asturian church, indeed the architectural gem of the principality". I was inclined to agree.
Steps up on both sides
Through the arch
Side
Entrance was only by guided tour, and the Spanish group had crowded us out. We were asked to wait for the next tour even though there were only 3 of us (and we had come first), but eventually we got them to let us in. This was fortunate, or we'd have had to skip it to hit León before siesta.
Interior view: I was going to call the circles rosettes, but that's the wrong term.
Inside, it was very bare.
Old man playing golf with his stick
Porch
Porch architecture
Old people in church
More of the circular design
Columns
There were some pictures of the other church, which had some cartoony wall paintings.
Barrel vaulted roof
We then went to the basement level.
Cross windows
Windows from outside
Single window
Window detail
Windows
Church from side
The hills were so nice, I was tempted to do a Sound of Music thing, but we wouldn't have been able to hit León, and I had no soundtrack.
