The next point on the route, where it is worth stopping, is a few kilometers ahead of the Sanctuary of Estivaliz, in the small town of Oreitia, a little over a kilometer from towns like Elburgo and Gaceta. In her, although very reformed during the successive historical periods, emphasizes the parochial church, that is under the invocation of the saints Julián and Basilisa, and in that still are located románicos rest of interesting composition and invoice.

Of them, possibly due to its rarity, size and location -in the position of the oculus of its imposing hexagonal-shaped headboard- the figure of a warrior mounted on a horse, shield and spear at the ready attracts attention. Just a few centimeters above it, and significantly, a canecillo shows a cadaverous-looking head, huge open mouth and mocking smile that, allegorically could represent death, although some sources identify it with the controversial Baphomet, head-idol that, apparently, was venerated by the Templars in their most intimate and secret ceremonies.

I comment this, simply as an anecdote, because some, in addition, consider this rider as a Templar knight whose spear points towards the west; that is, it indicates the direction of the Camino de Santiago.

Another element that can make interesting a visit to the temple, is another corbel, located not far from the previous one, which shows a resource that, although very frequent in the Romanesque, constitutes, in fact, an invitation to speculation . It is none other than the one that shows a beast or monster, apparently devouring a person. Although in this case, if we look closely, it does not give the impression that he devours it, but on the contrary, it seems that he expels it from within.

Detail that allows me, hypothetically speaking, of course, to consider the possibility that, apart from that allusion to Knowledge and its devouring idiosyncrasy, as some authors think, we could think, in this case, that the stonemason used his imagination to make an allegory on Nature: the Mother from whom life springs; a Mother who, by the way, like Janus, also offers two faces. A friendly face, from a wet nurse, and a very different one, from a stepmother. With one reward and the other punishes. In short, educate.

Also the elements that make up the cover, deserve attention, regardless of whether they seem made by different stonemason and its state of preservation. In her, the foliáceos reasons abound - some, with intertwined bows, the traditional allusions to the sin of the lust, represented by the harpies, angels and birds, representatives of the purity of the soul and the celestial world. In the secondary cover, the most outstanding reason, are the arcs that remember to some of which they compose the magnificent cloister of the soriano monastery of San Juan de Duero.

On this cover, deeply engraved on the stone, there is a Greek cross; that is, with its four equal arms. Detail that contrasts with the monxoi cross that, also deeply engraved on the stone, is located on the ground, right on the main slab of the threshold or entrance to the temple. The work of ironing the door, also deserves a touch of attention, for its excellence, forming interesting spirals its motives.

NOTICE: Originally published in my blog ROMÁNICA, ENIGMAS DEL ROMÁNICO ESPAÑOL. Both the text and the photographs that accompany it are my exclusive intellectual property. The original entry, where you can check the authorship of juancar347, can be found at the following address: https://juancar347-romanica.blogspot.com/2013/04/oreitia-church-of-san-julian-y-santa.html