San Antolín de Bedón

Llanes, Spain

The Monastery of San Antolín de Bedón was built at the mouth of the River Bedón, near the coast and the sea.

Its year of construction is unknown, being first mentioned in the 12th century. The only evidence that remains is the church, which corresponds to the late Romanesque, in transition towards the Gothic, the style suggested by the use of the pointed arch. The ground plan is that of a basilica, with three naves at different heights, separated by pointed arches resting on simple pillars, except for those in the transept and the apse, which are more ornate. It ends in a chevet with three semi-circular cul-de-four apses, which jut out of the east end. The system of ceilings is hierarchically conceived: the naves are covered with a wooden framework, while groin and pointed barrel vaulting is used in the transept.

The outside of the church is characterized by the use of ashlar and buttresses, where a marked escalation in volumes can be appreciated, as the roofs of the naves are at different heights, the central nave standing out above the other two. Horizontal mouldings and windows serve to break the exterior monotony of the semi-circular walls of the apse. Despite the decorative sobriety of the church, sculptural decoration survives due to its didactic character, occupying outdoor areas, such as the corbels of the eaves protecting the portals. The church has two portals; the west-facing portal has five pointed archivolts, with a cornice adorned with beautiful anthropomorphic (hunters), animalistic (fowl) and plants corbels. The south-facing portal presents a very similar structure and ornamentation. One of them was used to connect the church with the monastery. The ensemble conveys the image of austerity of the Cistercian Order, based on the lack of ornamentation and a scarcity of decorative aesthetics.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Llanes, Spain
See all sites in Llanes

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

www.turismoasturias.es

Rating

3.9/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Manuel Baena (15 months ago)
It's a shame that such a wonderful place is in ruins. The farm is inaccessible and they told us that the building is in danger of collapsing. I do not know the ownership of the monastery, if it is private, the Principality or the State, but the building is left by the hand of God. You can see the cover from the road and take a zoom photo.
bea paz (16 months ago)
You can't go inside. But it is very prety. It is parked between the monastery and the beach of San Antolín. It is a private area so you cannot go inside, but just seeing it from the outside is worth it.
Aina Massanet (18 months ago)
There is a hermitage in ruins and a church, from what a woman told me, they have renovated it. Although, I don't know why I couldn't visit it, since it was closed to the public. Next to it is the mouth of the Bedon river, San Antolín beach, a small free parking lot.
JORGEARGIZ (2 years ago)
Its history alone is worth visiting. The conservation of the Church is good but the monastery is collapsing, perhaps this mix is ​​what makes it interesting to visit. There are guided tours. INSTAGRAM JORGEARGIZ
Michal Snajdr (2 years ago)
It was pretty spartan conditions. There was pretty cold in there. I guess I cant blame thick stone walls. It had really hot shower though. In the end I did not mind It was colder given it is March.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Abbey of Saint-Georges

Saint-Georges de Boscherville Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey. It was founded in about 1113 by Guillaume de Tancarville on the site of an earlier establishment of secular canons and settled by monks from the Abbey of Saint-Evroul. The abbey church made of Caumont stone was erected from 1113 to 1140. The Norman builders aimed to have very well-lit naves and they did this by means of tall, large windows, initially made possible by a wooden ceiling, which prevented uplift, although this was replaced by a Gothic vault in the 13th century. The chapter room was built after the abbey church and dates from the last quarter of the 12th century.

The arrival of the Maurist monks in 1659, after the disasters of the Wars of Religion, helped to get the abbey back on a firmer spiritual, architectural and economic footing. They erected a large monastic building one wing of which fitted tightly around the chapter house (which was otherwise left as it was).