godspots | 2.18

The church of Santa Maria del Naranco, 3 kms. from Oviedo, is a UNESCO World heritage site: originally built as a palace for King Ramiro I, it became a church in the 12th Century, when nearby San Miguel de Lillo fell into disrepair. The base is rectangular with two floors, both with a central section and two shorter side sections. The whole building is covered by a barrel vault, except for the side rooms of the lower floor, which are covered with wood. On the altar (seen here), which lies outside the main temple, there is an inscription that dates back to 23rd June 848. The barrel-vaulted crypt is divided by arches into five different chambers. (Note the platform foundation, predating those designed for high-rise buildings in earthquake-prone Japan by 1,100 years or more.)


	The church of Santa Maria del Naranco, 3 kms. from Oviedo, is a UNESCO World heritage site: originally built as a palace for King Ramiro I, it became a church in the 12th Century, when nearby San Miguel de Lillo fell into disrepair. The base is rectangular with two floors, both with a central section and two shorter side sections. The whole building is covered by a barrel vault, except for the side rooms of the lower floor, which are covered with wood. On the altar (seen here), which lies outside the main temple, there is an inscription that dates back to 23rd June 848. The barrel-vaulted crypt is divided by arches into five different chambers. (Note the platform foundation, predating those designed for high-rise buildings in earthquake-prone Japan by 1,100 years or more.)
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