San Román de Moroso Hermitage

The hermitage of San Román de Moroso is a beautiful and genuine example of the Mozarabic art or Repopulation art in the region of Cantabria. This small hermitage erects in a remote gulley of the hills of Bostronizo. It scarcely reaches 12 metres long and six metres wide. Its dating is possibly from the 10th century, although there is not any document to confirm it. However, the first document that proves the existence of the monastery of Moroso is of 1119, the year in which the queen Doña Urraca donates the property to the monastery of St. Domingo de Silos.

It is a construction of regular proportions and perfect adaptation to its volumes. The building, gabled, is made of ashlar stone with pieces well squared in corners and jambs of the spans, put together with mortar. The apse is quadrangular and the gable finishes off a bell gable of later construction. The eaves stands up with foiled modillions decorated with swastikas, sun disks and four and six petal flowers. The origin of the vegetal motifs as well as the geometrical ones were profane representations though christianized later by the Visigoths and finally adopted by the Mozarabics. The inside is formed by a single rectangular and remarkably high nave with wooden frame.

References:

• turismo-prerromanico.com

Address

Barrio Bostronizo 150A, Arenas de Iguña, Spain

Details

Founded: 10th century AD
Category: Religious sites in Spain