Iglesia de San Andrés (El Entrego) facts for kids

The Church of San Andrés from the outside.

The Church of San Andrés (also known as the Church of St Andrew) is a special church located in San Martín del Rey Aurelio, a town in Asturias, Spain. It's a parish church, which means it serves a local community. This beautiful building looks like it was built in the Romanesque Revival style, which means it was designed to look like older Romanesque churches. You can find it in the town area of El Entrego, within the Linares parish. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oviedo.

A Look Back: History of the Church

The very first Church of San Andrés de Linares was built a long time ago, right next to the Nalón River. Sadly, it was completely destroyed in the early 1800s because of big floods from the river.

After that, a new church was built across the river. People thought this spot would be safe from any more floods. However, this second church was also destroyed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.

Work on the church you see today began in 1945. It was built in the El Entrego valley. This was during a time when Spain was trying to be very self-sufficient. The main architects who designed this church were Francisco de Zuvillaga and Abelardo Suárez Moro.

What Does It Look Like? Architecture

A view of the church's interior.

The outside of the church mixes two old styles: Romanesque and Baroque. It has two tall towers with several sections and a welcoming porch. The building's design was inspired by other famous Spanish buildings. These include the Santa María del Naranco Cathedral and the detailed sculptures found in the Cámara Santa (Holy Chamber) of the Oviedo Cathedral.

The church's layout is shaped like a Latin cross when you look down from above. It has a main central area called a nave, which has a rounded ceiling known as a barrel vault. On either side of the nave are two smaller walkways called aisles.

In the part of the church that crosses the main nave, called the transept, there is a large dome. This dome is supported by Romanesque-style arches. At the very end of the church, there is a rounded section called a semicircular apse. Inside the church, you can see important statues. These include figures of Christ lying down and St Andrew, who the church is named after.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de San Andrés (El Entrego) para niños

• Asturian art
• Catholic Church in Spain