Church of San Andrés, Elciego, Spain

Church of San Andrés is an impressive church built in stone in the 16th century. In the same building, several architectural styles are to be seen, from the gothic to the neoclassical and the renaissance. The most Gothic parts are the nearest to the towers. It's the only remaining part of the Gothic building over which the current building was erected. Picturesque columns and archs. In the other part of the church we can see the sacristy, in neoclassical style. In the middle part we can see the stylistic evolution in the building. In the 'crucero' part we can see a Renaissance style. The church has also a baroque and renaissance-style altarpiece. The 18th-century organ, of classical style, is still in use and used for concerts.

References:

tourism.euskadi.eus

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Paz Parra (11 months ago)
Beautiful town with a large church and a spectacular natural environment, as well as very clean

Jose A. Morales (11 months ago)
The interior is of great beauty and harmony. An exuberant baroque that fortunately has survived to this day.

Mertxe Berganzo (16 months ago)
Precious. Like no other

EUGENIO MORALES (17 months ago)
lovely

Alberto Álvarez Casasnovas (2 years ago)
Beautiful facade, impresses with its towers and looks like a fortress

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ('Men"s Abbey'), is a former monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne). It is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies" Abbey'), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine.

Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was abbot of Saint-Etienne. Built in Caen stone during the 11th century, the two semi-completed churches stood for many decades in competition. An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the ribbed vault, used for the first time in France. The two abbey churches are considered forerunners of the Gothic architecture. The original Romanesque apse was replaced in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying buttresses. Nine towers and spires were added in the 13th century. The interior vaulting shows a similar progression, beginning with early sexpartite vaulting (using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadipartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

The two monasteries were finally donated by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders, as penalty for their marriage against the Pope"s ruling. William was buried here; Matilda was buried in the Abbaye aux Dames. Unfortunately William"s original tombstone of black marble, the same kind as Matilda"s in the Abbaye aux Dames, was destroyed by the Calvinist iconoclasts in the 16th century and his bones scattered.

As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church. From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the Normandy Landings in 1944, inhabitants of Caen found refuge in the church; on the rooftop there was a red cross, made with blood on a sheet, to show that it was a hospital (to avoid bombings).

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