Church of Santa Maria de Arbas is a good example of late León romanesque, built during the 12th and 13th centuries. It once belonged to the regular order of Saint Agustin. The church has three naves and four pillars supporting the round arches that separate the naves.
It was officially founded in the 12th century by the Count Fruela, El Cid's brother in law.It was ruled as a Colegiata (Collegiate Church) and a Hospedería (Hostelry) by the Augustine monks.As a result of its decline, it became a simple parish church. It was restored after the Civil War. The building consists of fine grey limestone blocks. The gothic chapel was added later, in the 12th century. The sacristy, the tower, the portico and the vaulting of the main nave date from the 17th century.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.