Church of San Pedro de Nora Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Peter of Nora Iglesia de San Pedro de Nora

Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Asturias
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Church
Location
Location	Las Regueras, Asturias, Spain
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Pre-Romanesque
Completed	9th century
Specifications
Length	18 metres (59 ft)
Width	13 metres (43 ft)

The Church of Saint Peter of Nora (in Spanish, Iglesia de San Pedro de Nora) is a very old Roman Catholic church located in Las Regueras, Asturias, Spain. It sits right next to the Nora river, about 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) from the city of Oviedo. This church is special because it's built in a style called Pre-Romanesque, which means it was constructed before the well-known Romanesque style became popular.

We first hear about this church in a document from the year 905, signed by King Alfonso III of Asturias. Because it looks a lot like other churches from that time, like San Julián de los Prados and the church of Santa María de Bendones, experts believe it was probably built when King Alfonso II of Asturias was in charge.

In 1931, the church was named a National Monument, which means it's a very important historical site. Sadly, it was badly damaged by fire in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, losing its roof. Luckily, it was later rebuilt and restored by an architect named Luis Menéndez Pidal y Alvarez.

Church Design

This church shares many design ideas with the San Julián de los Prados church. It faces east, which is a common direction for churches. It also has a separate entrance area, called a vestibule, before you enter the main part of the church.

The church has a "basilica-type" layout. This means it has a central area, called the nave, which is taller than the side areas, called aisles. The roof inside was made of wood. Light came into the church through windows that had special stone screens, called lattices.

The straight sanctuary, which is the area around the altar, is divided into three smaller sections called apses. These apses have rounded ceilings, known as barrel vaults. A unique feature here is that these apses are connected to each other by arched doorways in the walls between them.

Like many churches from this time, there was a small room built above the apse. You could only get into this room from outside, through a window shaped like a three-leaf clover (a trefoil window).

The bell tower of the church is separate from the main building, just like at the Santa María de Bendones church. This bell tower wasn't part of the original church. It was added in the 1970s by the same architect who restored the church, Luis Menéndez Pidal y Alvarez. He was very important in restoring many old Asturian Pre-Romanesque buildings.

Church of San Pedro de Nora facts for kids

Church Design

See Also