Church of Santa María de Bendones

43°20′9.6″N 5°48′22.7″W / 43.336000°N 5.806306°W / 43.336000; -5.806306ArchitectureTypeChurchStylePre-RomanesqueSpecificationsDirection of façadeELength18 metres (59 ft)Width18 metres (59 ft)

St. Mary of Bendones (Spanish: Santa María de Bendones) is an Asturian Pre-Romanesque Roman Catholic church situated in Bendones, Spain, build between 792 and 842.

It was designated a Spanish National Monument in 1958. It has an arcade with side chapels as well as a three-part head with a large transept.

Architecture

The structure is similar to the church of San Julián de los Prados, although the ground plan is not the typical basilica of the Pre-Romanesque churches, but has three enclosures at the western end, the central one as an entrance vestibule and two side areas possibly to house parishioners or ecclesiastics. This entrance leads into a single nave with a wooden ceiling, the same length as the entrance enclosures. The nave adjoins two rectangular side areas, also with a wooden ceiling, whose use seems to associated with the liturgical rites of the period. this nave joined with the sanctuary by three semicircular brick arches, each of which leads into its corresponding chapel, of which only the main or central one is covered with a brick barrel vault, the other two with wooden ceilings.

Above the main chapel is the "typical" chamber, only accessible from outside, through a trefoil window with the standard Pre-Romanesque features; central arch larger than the side ones, resting on two free-standing capitals with rope moulding, and the upper rectangle framed by simple moulding.

Independent from the church structure, though close to its southern facade, stands the bell tower, on a rectangular ground plan.

References

Sources

Luis Menéndez Pidal y Alvarez, Santa María de Bendones, Oviedo: Reconstrucción, Instituto de Estudios Asturianos, 1974 ISBN 978-84-600-6009-3
Arias Paramo, Lorenzo (1992). "Geometría y proporción en la arquitectura prerrománica asturiana". Actas del III Congreso de Arqueología Medieval Española (in Spanish). Oviedo: Universidad de Oviedo: 27–37. ISBN 978-84-604-1916-7. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
Arias, Lorenzo (1999). La Pintura Mural En El Reino De Asturias En Los Siglos IX y X. Oviedo: Libreria Cervantes. ISBN 84-923608-1-X.
Gutierrez, Sara (2002). Rutas Del Prerromanico En Asturias. Clearwater: Jaguar Books. ISBN 84-89960-32-1.
Prerrománico Asturiano. El arte de la monarquía Asturiana. Gijón, 1999. Editorial Trea ISBN 84-95178-39-7
A la búsqueda del prerrománico olvidado (2 Tomos). Gijón, 1999. Author: Francisco Monge Calleja ISBN 84-931350-0-3
Guía del prerómanico: Visigodo, Asturiano, Mozárabe. Madrid, 2005. Editorial: Anaya

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Church of Santa María de Bendones.

Iglesia de Santa María de Bendones, 3D model in Google SketchUp

Pre-romanesque art in the Kingdom of Asturias

Pre-Romanesque art in Asturias is framed between the years 711 and 925, the period of the rise and extension of the Kingdom of Asturias.

Architecture

1st period (737 to 791)	Santa Cruz de Cangas de Onís Church of San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista
2nd period (791 to 842)	Cathedral Basilica of San Salvador Pilgrimage church of Santiago de Compostela Church of San Tirso Church of San Julián de los Prados Church of Santa María de Bendones Church of San Pedro de Nora Church of Santiago de Gobiendes Cámara Santa of Oviedo
3rd period (842 to 866)	Church of Santa María del Naranco Church of San Miguel de Lillo Church of Santa Cristina de Lena
4th period (866 to 910)	Church of San Salvador de Valdediós Church of Santo Adriano de Tuñón
5th period (910 to 925)	Church of San Salvador de Priesca