1. Jaime Rodríguez Miranda nº27
Alejandro Ruiz nº28
Nacho Galán nº13

2. History
• The church of St Mary at Mount Naranco is a Roman
Catholic Asturian pre-Romanesque Asturian
architecture church on the slope of Mount Naranco
situated 3 kilometres 1.9 mil from Oviedo, northern
Spain. Ramiro I of Asturias ordered it to be built as a
royal palace as part of a larger complex that also
incorporated the nearby church of San Miguel de
Lillo, 100 meters away. It was completed in 848. Its
structural features, such as the barrel vault — with
transverse ribs corresponding one-to-one with
contraforts at the exterior, make it a clear precursor
of the Romanesque construction.

3. History
• Built as a recreational palace, it is situated on the
southern side of Mount Naranco facing the city, and
was originally part of a series of royal buildings
located in the outskirts. Its character as a civil
building changed in the 12th century when it was
converted into a church dedicated to St. Mary. The
Palace of Santa María del Naranco, involved a
significant stylistic, morphological, constructive and
decorative renovation of Pre-Romanesque,
supplementing it with new, innovative resources,
representing a leap forward with respect to
immediately previous periods. This palace's
innovations amazed chroniclers, who repeatedly
mention it over time. A case in point is the Crónica
Silense, written around the year 1015, about 300
years after its construction, and which, on
describing Ramiro I of Asturias.

4. Architecture
• The palace, on a rectangular ground plan, has two
floors. The lower level, or crypt, quite low, has a
central chamber and another two located on either
side. The upper floor is accessed via a double
exterior stairway adjoining the facade, leading into
an identical layout as the lower floor; a central or
noble hall with six blind semicircular arches along
the walls, supported by columns built into the wall,
and a mirador at each end. These are accessed via
three arches, similar to those onto the wall, resting
on columns with helicoidal rope moulding, typical
of Pre-Romanesque. The barrel vault is made from
tufa stone, and is held up by six transverse arches
resting on consoles.

5. Architecture
• Santa María del Naranco represented a step forward from a
decorative point of view by enriching the habitual standards
and models with elements from painting, gold work and the
textile arts. The rich decoration is concentrated in the hall and
miradors of the upper floor, where it is especially worth noting
the cubic-prismatic capitals (), decorated with reliefs framed by
cord decoration (from local tradition) in trapezoid and
triangular shapes, inside which there are sculpted forms of
animals and humans. This kind of motif is repeated on the
disks with central medallions located above the blind arches'
intersections. The 32 medallions distributed around the
building are similar in size and shape, varying the decorative
designs and the interior figures (quadrupeds, birds, bunches of
grapes, fantastic animals), a style inherited from the Visigoth
period, in turn descended from Byzantine tradition.

6. Architecture
• The medallions have decorative bands above them,
again framed by rope moulding, inside which four
figures are scuipted and arranged symmetrically; the
upper two carrying loads on their heads and the
lower two representing soldiers on horseback
carrying swords. These figures seem to have some
kind of symbolic social meaning; the warriors who
defend and support the men of prayer, or
alternatively, the royal and ecclesiastic orders
complementing each other.

7. Architecture
• Santa María del Naranco shows other, equally
beautiful and important sculptural elements; for the
first time, a Greek cross appears sculpted as
emblem of the Asturian monarchy, at the same time
protecting the building from all evil, something
which was to become habitual in the popular
architecture of towns and villages. Other sculptural
elements, such as the capitals of Corinthian
inspiration on the miradors' triple-arched Windows
or the altar stone in the eastern mirador (make this
palace the most distinctive building in Pre-
Romanesque, a singularity highlighted by being the
only palace complex that has lasted until the present
day with both Visigothic and Carolingian court
structures.
• .

8. Characteristics
• Santa María del Naranco shows other, equally beautiful and
important sculptural elements; for the first time, a Greek cross
appears sculpted as emblem of the Asturian monarchy, at the
same time protecting the building from all evil, something
which was to become habitual in the popular architecture of
towns and villages. Other sculptural elements, such as the
capitals of Corinthian inspiration on the miradors' triple-arched
Windows or the altar stone in the eastern mirador (make this
palace the most distinctive building in Pre-Romanesque, a
singularity highlighted by being the only palace complex that
has lasted until the present day with both Visigothic and
Carolingian court structures.

9. CharacteristicsCharacteristics
In a lot of stones there are this text:In a lot of stones there are this text:
Christe filivs dei qui in vtero virginis beatae mariaeChriste filivs dei qui in vtero virginis beatae mariae
in gressvs es sine hv mana conteptione et egressvsin gressvs es sine hv mana conteptione et egressvs
sine corrvptione qvi per famvlvm tvvm ranimirvmsine corrvptione qvi per famvlvm tvvm ranimirvm
principe gloriosvm cvm paterna regina conivgeprincipe gloriosvm cvm paterna regina conivge
renovasti hoc habitacvlvm nimia vetvstaterenovasti hoc habitacvlvm nimia vetvstate
consvmptvm et pro eis aedificasti hanc haramconsvmptvm et pro eis aedificasti hanc haram
benedicbenedic
tionis gloriosae sanctae mariae in locvm hvnctionis gloriosae sanctae mariae in locvm hvnc
svmmvm exavdi eos de caelorum habitacvlo tvo etsvmmvm exavdi eos de caelorum habitacvlo tvo et
dimitte peccadimitte pecca
ta eorvm qvi vivis et regnas per infinita saecvlata eorvm qvi vivis et regnas per infinita saecvla
saecvlorvm amen die VIIII0 kalendas ivlias erasaecvlorvm amen die VIIII0 kalendas ivlias era
DCCCLXXXVIADCCCLXXXVIA ..

10. TranslationTranslation
TheThe translationtranslation is:is:
Son of God, you came into the womb of the BlessedSon of God, you came into the womb of the Blessed
Virgin Mary without human conception and came outVirgin Mary without human conception and came out
without corruption, that by your servant Ramirowithout corruption, that by your servant Ramiro
glorious prince with Queen cónyege Paterna youglorious prince with Queen cónyege Paterna you
renewed this abode consumed by the great antiquity,renewed this abode consumed by the great antiquity,
and through them you built this altar of blessing toand through them you built this altar of blessing to
the glorious Saint Mary in this high place, hear 'fromthe glorious Saint Mary in this high place, hear 'from
your dwelling from heaven and forgive their sins.your dwelling from heaven and forgive their sins.
Who live and reign for ever and ever infinite, amen.Who live and reign for ever and ever infinite, amen.
Ninth day of the Kalends of July was 886 June 23,Ninth day of the Kalends of July was 886 June 23,
848.848.