Located to the north of the town, near the north entrance to Salvatierra, the church of Santa María is a temple-fortress that once formed part of the wall. It was built between the late 15th and early 16th century on top of an earlier church, and has excellent stalls. It belongs to the late Gothic.The core is rectangular, with three naves. The central nave stands out, wider and taller than the rest.The sacristy is from the late 17th century, spacious, simple and with a beautiful balcony. The main entrance is Gothic, from the early 16th century, and is topped by a 17th century steeple.
Inside, the front of the wonderful, richly decorated Plateresque choir is dominated by a large crest of Emperor Charles V. The main altarpiece is a masterpiece by Renaissance artist Lope de Larrea.The church of Santa María also has outstanding images such as the Virgin of the Rosary, Mary Magdalene and Andra Mari de Sailurtegi. The organ is an outstanding piece from 1806, by Manuel Antonio de Carvajal.
References: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).