San Caprasio Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Iglesia de San Caprasio
The outside of the Church of San Caprasio
Country	Spain
Denomination	Catholic
Architecture
Style	Lombard Romanesque
Administration
Diocese	Jaca

The Church of San Caprasio (Iglesia de San Caprasio in Spanish) is a historic stone church in the town of Santa Cruz de la Serós, Spain. It is a famous example of an early building style called First Romanesque. Built almost 1,000 years ago, this church has a simple but beautiful design that has hardly changed over time.

The Story of San Caprasio
A Look at the Church's Design
- What is the church made of?
Gallery
See also

The Story of San Caprasio

The church is named after Saint Caprasio, a saint who lived in the 4th century. During the Middle Ages, many religious travelers, called pilgrims, walked a famous route known as the Way of Santiago. This church was built near that important path.

It was built in the early 11th century in a style called Lombard-Romanesque. This style was popular in a region of Italy called Lombardy, and it's believed that builders from Italy helped construct the church.

In 1089, the church was given to the nearby monastery of San Juan de la Peña. For a while, the monastery used it as one of its special churches, known as a priorate.

A Look at the Church's Design

One of the most amazing things about the Church of San Caprasio is that it looks almost the same as it did when it was first built. The only major change was the addition of a bell tower in the 12th century, which stands separately from the main building.

What is the church made of?

The main part of the church is made of stone. Inside, there is one main hall, called a nave, with special arched ceilings known as cross vaults. At one end of the church is a small, curved section called an apse. The apse has a rounded ceiling called a barrel vault, which looks like the inside of a barrel cut in half.

The outside walls are decorated with columns and something called blind arcades. These are arches built into the wall for decoration, not as windows or doors. This simple and strong design is a classic example of the Romanesque style.