Cámara Santa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy chamber of OviedoCámara Santa de Oviedo |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Chapel |
| Location | |
| Location | Oviedo (Asturias), Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Pre-Romanesque |
| Completed | 9th century |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Designated | 1985 (9th session) |
| Parent listing | Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias |
| Reference no. | 312-004 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Website | |
| Official Website: http://www.catedraldeoviedo.es | |
The Holy Chamber of Oviedo (Spanish: Cámara Santa de Oviedo) is also known as the Chapel of St. Michael. It is a very old Roman Catholic church in Oviedo, Spain. It was built in a style called Pre-Romanesque, which means it came before the Romanesque style.
This special building is located right next to the old Tower of San Miguel. This tower is part of the main cathedral in the city. Today, the Holy Chamber is found in a corner of the cathedral complex.
It was built in the 9th century for King Alfonso II of Asturias. It served as his private chapel and was connected to the San Salvador church in Oviedo. The Holy Chamber was made to keep important jewels and holy objects from the cathedral. It still holds these treasures even after 1200 years!
Some of these valuable items were given by Kings Alfonso II and Alfonso III. They are amazing gold artworks from the Asturian Pre-Romanesque period. These treasures were brought from Toledo after the fall of the Visigothic kingdom.
Because of all the important holy objects inside, the Oviedo Cathedral was also called Sancta Ovetensis. This means "Holy Oviedo" in Latin. The Holy Chamber is the only part left of the original early medieval buildings. It was built specifically to store treasures like the Cross of the Angels, the Victory Cross, the Agate box, the Arca Santa, and the Sudarium of Oviedo. These items were brought from Jerusalem, then Africa, and finally placed in Oviedo by King Alfonso II.
The Holy Chamber was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in December 1998. This means it is a very important place for everyone in the world to protect.
Building Design
The Holy Chamber has two rooms built one on top of the other. Both rooms have a rounded, tunnel-like ceiling called a barrel vault. The lower room is called the crypt. It is about 2.30 meters (7.5 feet) tall. This crypt is dedicated to St. Leocadia and holds the tombs of several other martyrs.
The crypt of St. Leocadia is a rectangular room. Its walls are made of rough stones. The ceiling is a simple, rounded barrel vault, only about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) high in the middle. Originally, it had very narrow windows, like small slits, that let in light. There was also a larger window at the east end.
The main part of the Holy Chamber has a square area at the east end. This is connected to a rectangular main room. The square area also has a low barrel vault ceiling. Its front arch is supported by two marble columns. These columns came from ancient Roman buildings. Two similar columns decorate the east window. Their tops are carved in a style called Corinthian, with leaf designs.
The upper room of the Holy Chamber is dedicated to St. Michael. It was made longer in the 12th century, reaching six meters (about 20 feet) in length. During this time, it also received its beautiful decorations. These decorations are a masterpiece of Spanish Romanesque art. The way the Holy Chamber was built helped solve a big problem for builders in the Asturian Pre-Romanesque period. They figured out how to put a vaulted ceiling on two rooms built one above the other. This building method was later used in other important buildings by Ramiro I of Asturias.
The Sudarium of Oviedo
The Sudarium of Oviedo is also called the Shroud of Oviedo or the Cloth of Oviedo. It is a cloth with bloodstains kept in the Arca Santa inside the chapel. A sudarium is a Latin word for a cloth used to wipe sweat. Many people believe this cloth was wrapped around the head of Jesus Christ after he died.
This cloth has some interesting similarities with other famous images. These include the Shroud of Turin and the Manoppello Image.
See also
In Spanish: Cámara Santa de Oviedo para niños
- Asturian architecture
- Catholic Church in Spain
