Church of Santa María de Bendones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Mary of Bendones Iglesia de Santa María de Bendones
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Asturias
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Inactive
Year consecrated	9th century
Location
Location	Bendones, Spain
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Pre-Romanesque
Specifications
Direction of façade	E
Length	18 metres (59 ft)
Width	18 metres (59 ft)

The Church of St. Mary of Bendones (in Spanish, Santa María de Bendones) is a very old Roman Catholic church in Bendones, Spain. It was built a long time ago, between the years 792 and 842. This makes it over 1200 years old!

This church is a great example of Pre-Romanesque style from the Asturias region of Spain. Because it is so important, it was named a Spanish National Monument in 1958. The church has special features like an arched walkway with small chapels on the sides. It also has a unique three-part main area with a large cross-shaped section.

Exploring the Church's Design

The Church of St. Mary of Bendones has a design that reminds us of another old church called San Julián de los Prados. However, its floor plan is quite special. Most churches from this time had a simple, long main hall. But St. Mary of Bendones is different.

The Entrance and Main Hall

At the western end of the church, there are three connected rooms. The middle room acts as the main entrance hall. The two rooms on either side might have been used for people attending church or for priests. From this entrance, you walk into a single main hall. This hall has a wooden ceiling and is the same length as the entrance rooms.

Side Areas and Chapels

Next to the main hall, there are two rectangular side areas. These also have wooden ceilings. It seems they were used for special religious ceremonies back then. The main hall connects to the sanctuary (the most sacred part of the church) through three round brick arches. Each arch leads to its own small chapel. Only the main chapel in the center has a curved brick ceiling, called a barrel vault. The other two chapels have wooden ceilings.

The Secret Room Above

Above the main chapel, there is a special room. You can only get into this room from the outside! It has a unique window with three arches, where the middle arch is bigger than the ones on the sides. These arches rest on two columns with special rope-like carvings. The whole window is framed by simple decorations.

The Bell Tower

Standing separate from the main church building, but very close to its southern side, is the bell tower. It has a rectangular shape at its base.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de Santa María (Bendones) para niños

• Catholic Church in Spain