San Salvador Collegiate Church

The Collegiate Church of El Salvador de Grandas de Salime is an outstanding example of religious architecture in Asturias, with origins dating back to the 12th century. Throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it underwent several renovations and extensions, adding elements such as the tower, portico, transept chapels and sacristies. Despite these changes, it retains its original Romanesque doorway, embedded in a wall of the new church, notable for its semicircular archivolts and capitals richly sculpted with plant, human and animal motifs. The present structure has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave, a transept with a dome on pendentives and a square tower at the western end.

One of the most notable aspects of the Collegiate Church of El Salvador is its main altarpiece, which dates from the 18th century and is the work of Juan de Castro. This altarpiece, divided into five sections and distributed on two floors with an attic, is a work of great artistic value that enhances the interior beauty of the church. In addition, the entire structure is surrounded by a portico that adds a distinctive element to its architectural design. As a landmark on the Primitive Way of St. James, this church is not only a place of worship, but also a historical and cultural testimony of the Grandas de Salime region in Asturias.

Images courtesy GuiaVisualdelCaminoPrimitivo