Church of Santa Eulalia de la Lloraza, Villaviciosa, Spain

Church of Santa Eulalia de la Lloraza is a Romanesque-style church in the municipality of Villaviciosa. The origins of the church are not clear, although the origin of the church may be the endowment by a leper who traveled the Camino de Santiago route which passed through the area. The church may have been funded initially by an offering of Queen Berengaria of Castile, wife of King Alfonso IX of León.

The present church dates from the thirteenth century, having undergone numerous renovations after it was damaged by arson in the Spanish Civil War. The church was restored in 1950 by Luis Menéndez Pidal y Alvarez.

The church has a nave with a squared apse. The ensemble seen today has elements of several epochs, as it has since undergone repairs and refurbishments.

The two entrances of the building are from the early days of construction, featuring richly Romanesque decorations.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Milagros Ovin (2 months ago)
I loved

Rui Oliveira (6 months ago)
Beleza, mas a necessitar de melhor sinalização e informações

Raúl Ramos Solar (2 years ago)
One of my favorite Romanesque hermitages in the coastal area of Villaviciosa, seated on older remains, probably pre-Romanesque. Spectacular on the outside, all of it. If you want to meet her inside, you have to ask in the house next to the hermitage (in ancient times it was a malateria) because a lady makes a guided tour of its interior, with wide and interesting explanations (which would leave on the floors to many professional cultural guides). He doesn't charge anything more than the will (so you know, be generous because she has no obligation).

José Luis Rivera Gutiez (2 years ago)
A jewel of the Asturian Romanesque. It is a must for anyone who likes this architectural art

Carlos Del Sol Mesa (2 years ago)
It is not well understood how this magnificent example of rural Romanesque Asturian can be closed with planks and closed to visit the cover, which is the best it has.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Giåm

Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory. It's absolutely free, easy, and you can do it even without registration (of course you an also create an free account)!

Church of Santa Eulalia de la Lloraza

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

The Beauty of Cinque Terre

Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Looks like you are a history fan!

Do you know an ancient castle or hidden ruins near you?