San Tirso, Oviedo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Thyrsus Iglesia de San Tirso
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Asturias
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Church
Location
Location	Oviedo, Spain
Architecture
Architect(s)	Tioda
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Pre-Romanesque, Romanesque
Completed	9th century
Website
Official Website: http://www.iglesiadeasturias.org

The Church of Saint Thyrsus (also known as Spanish: Iglesia de San Tirso or Iglesia de San Tirso el Real de Oviedo) is an old Roman Catholic church in Oviedo, a city in northern Spain. It was built a very long time ago, in the 790s!

This church is dedicated to Saint Thyrsus. It was designed by Tioda, who was the main architect for King Alfonso II of Asturias. Sadly, a big fire in Oviedo in 1521 and later changes in the 1700s meant that most of the original church was lost. However, one special part, a window with three lights, still remains from the very first building.

This is the original three-light window of the church.

About the Church Building

Over many years, the Church of Saint Thyrsus has been changed a lot. Because of this, only its basic shape and layout have survived from the original design.

Inside the Church

The church has a main area called a nave and two side areas called aisles. These parts are separated by strong stone pillars that are not all the same distance apart. Round arches connect these pillars.

In the part of the church furthest to the east, the arch was made a bit pointed. This was done to make sure its top reached the same height as the other arches, even though the space was smaller. This way of building, where arches are adjusted to keep the ceiling height even, was also used in ancient Roman times. For example, some rooms in the House of Tiberius in Rome show this clever building trick.

The Special Window

In the rectangular area at the front of the church, there is a very old window. This window has three round arches and is about 2 meters by 2 meters (about 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet).

This window is important because it shows us what the church looked like when it was first built. It has old-style bases, rough brick arches, and capitals (the tops of pillars) with simple, carved leaves. This gives us an idea of the good building and carving styles from the time of King Alfonso II of Asturias. We also know that the Church of San Tirso once had a special chapel for the royal family.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de San Tirso el Real (Oviedo) para niños

• Asturian architecture
• Catholic Church in Spain