Mysteries of Asturian Art: Santa María del Naranco

Legendary buildings, which still retain all the mystery about their origins, are those that, under the name of ‘Pre-Romanesque’ or ‘Asturian Art’, surprise by their beauty, their mediatic singularity and their mysterious origins.

Created in a period between the 7th century, with the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and the collapse of the Visigothic monarchy and the 10th century, with the opening of the Ways of Saint James and the creation of the great monasterial monasteries, they are the testimony of some architects, whose anonymity constitutes, in addition, another mystery added.

Without being able to qualify as Visigoths, nor exactly pre-Romanesque, these unique temples constitute a curious phenomenon of ‘indigenous art’, whose meritorious design makes them little less than unique.

One of the most outstanding specimens, is this false temple of Santa María del Naranco, located on the top of the mountain that bears his name, strategically located place, from which you can see, almost completely, the stately city of Oviedo, where the cathedral of San Salvador was erected, shortly after the discovery of the supposed remains of the Apostle Santiago, and where the saying is still preserved: 'who goes to Santiago and not the Savior, visits the servant and forgets the Lord'.

Originally created as a palace, it was transformed into a temple, in the time of King Ramiro I, famous for his continued confrontations with the Muslim Caliphate and one of the architects that History would later collect under the name of Reconquista.

This happened in the year 842, and as you can see, its appearance barely denotes the passage of the centuries, despite the amount of visitors it receives each year, which not only have the opportunity to contemplate a different work of art and attractive, but also to enjoy a truly spectacular environment.

NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property.

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