Church of San Pedro de Plecín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of San Pedro de Plecín |
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| Location | Asturias,  Spain |
The Church of San Pedro de Plecín (which means Iglesia de San Pedro de Plecín in Spanish) is an old church building. It is located in a place called Alles, in Asturias, Spain. It used to be a Roman Catholic church.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Story
This church was probably built on a very old spot. People might have worshipped here even before Christianity. It was constructed in the late 1100s. At that time, it was built in a style called "late Romanesque." It was first named after San Salvador.
Changes Over Time
In the 1200s, the west side of the church was made bigger. Later, in the 1400s, it was updated and a porch was added. Around the 1300s or 1400s, its name was changed to San Pedro. In the 1500s, a special chapel for funerals was built on the north side of the church.
Why the Church Was Left Behind
A rich family called the Mier family had helped pay for San Pedro for many years. But in 1778, they stopped giving money. Then, in 1787, a new church was built right in the middle of Alles. Because of this, the old San Pedro church was no longer used and was left empty.
Exploring the Church's Design
The Church of San Pedro de Plecín has one main room, called a nave. It also has a straight end part, called an apse. Before, the apse was shaped like a half-circle. The main door where people entered is on the south side of the church.
Materials and Roof
The apse is made from strong blocks of sandstone. These same blocks are also used on the roof at the south end. The main room (nave) is built with limestone. The roof of the apse is shaped like a half-cylinder, which is called a barrel vault. The nave has a flat wooden ceiling.
The South Entrance
The entrance on the south side sits on a raised base. It has a special roof made of grooved tiles to protect it. The doorway has four arches, called archivolts, that are slightly pointed. Above these arches is a pattern that looks like a honeycomb. This pattern is also on the posts that hold up the arches.
The arches have different decorations, but they are quite old and worn. You can still see designs of plants, people, and amazing creatures like mermaids, griffins, and centaurs. The bases of the columns that supported these arches are no longer there. Next to the entrance, on the right, there is a small window. It is divided by a thin stone piece and has a decorative frame around it.
The Funeral Chapel
The funeral chapel on the north side is square. It does not have any windows. Its roof is a simple ribbed vault, which is a ceiling with crisscrossing arches. This type of roof has helped protect the decorative supports it rests on.
Inside the Church
Inside the church, you can still see the bases that once held up the columns of the main arch. A possible top part of one of these columns, called a capital, is now in the city of Alles. It is decorated with plant designs. The straight part before the apse has an arched walkway with three columns on each side.
Today, plants and weeds have grown inside the church and on its walls. However, the old ruins of the church have been cleaned and made stronger recently.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pedro de Plecín para niños
