The Basilica of San Vicente in Avila is a notable example of Hispanic Romanesque architecture, built in granite and located outside the city walls on the site where, according to tradition, the saints Vicente, Sabina and Cristeta were martyred and buried. Known as the Holy Martyrs of Avila, they were three siblings who suffered martyrdom in the 4th century during the persecution of Christians under the rule of Emperor Diocletian. According to tradition, they were denounced as Christians in Talavera de la Reina. During their flight, they hid in the Sierra de San Vicente, but were finally captured and martyred near Avila. Their bodies were abandoned after their execution, but a Jewish convert to Christianity collected their remains and took them to the city, where he built a church in their honor, the precursor of the present-day temple that houses their tombs.
The construction of the basilica began at the end of the 11th century, and its architectural style reflects the influence of the cathedral of Avila and the Romanesque architecture of León, such as that of San Isidoro de León and Santiago de Compostela. The basilica was declared a National Monument in 1923 and houses in its crypt the image of the Virgin of the Soterraña, venerated by Saint Teresa of Jesus. In the Basilica of San Vicente de Avila, the cenotaph of the martyrs, the work of the sculptor Fruchel, narrates the episodes of their arrest, martyrdom and veneration, and remains a testimony of the devotion to the three saints.
- Address
Pl. de San Vicente, 4, Ávila - Web
https://basilicasanvicente.es/ - Visiting Hours
From Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00. Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 - What to see
Porticus. Sepulcher of the Martyrs