Church of San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista, Santianes de Pravia

The church Santianes de Pravia is the oldest preserved pre-Romanesque church of the former Asturian kingdom. It is situated in the hamlet of Santianes, about 45 kilometers from Oviedo, the capital of the autonomous Spanish region of Asturias and belongs to the municipality of Pravia.

History

The both the Apostle and John the Evangelist consecrated church was built under the Asturian king Silo ( 774-783 ). As the Crónica Albeldense reported that he moved his court from Cangas de Onís after Pravia, the Roman Flavian Avia, an intersection of Roman roads. The church was built there should be for the remaining Christian Spain have a similar meaning as the resulting few years later the first building of the Great Mosque of Córdoba for Moorish Spain.

Architecture

Santianes de Pravia is a three-aisled, timber-roofed pier basilica. Nave and aisles are separated by built of brick round arches resting on square pillars with supporting capitals. The nave has only two bays. By constructing the subsequent tripartite transept it forms a square. In the east opens a semi-circular apse. Both the system as a single apse and its semi-circular shape is unusual and differs from the rectangular Dreierapsiden the other pre-Romanesque churches of Asturias. On the west side there is a square entrance porch. The walls are made of rough-hewn, bedded in mortar stones. Inside, have been preserved on the plaster remains of the original murals.

Window

On the south elevation, a window is obtained in the form of a keyhole, which dates to the 10th century and Mozarabic influence is attributed. Here, a tightly closed horseshoe arch is cut into a white limestone slab, which rests on two pillars. A similarly designed twin window is attached to a wall in the north aisle.

Equipment

During renovation work in 1894 was discovered in the front wall of the apse originating from the period of the Church altar with canteen and Stipes and fragments of the choir screen ( Canceles ). Copies are available locally. Get a limestone fragment with donor's inscription, which is designed as a cross word labyrinth, consisting of the words: Silo Princeps Fecit ( King Shiloh has made there ). In the sacristy Lapidary more fragments are stored with the foundation inscriptions. On the fragments of a mullioned window lintel is an inscription with the note found on the John consecration of the church, whose translation reads: In honor of the apostle and evangelist John, this house has been built.

Font

In the south aisle a Taufpiscina was discovered with outflow in the opus signinum floor. It is provided with side lengths 56.5 cm and 61.5 cm nearly square and has a depth of 26.5 cm. At the naming ceremony of the child to be baptized stood in the well and was doused with water.