Santo Tomé el Viejo Church, Ávila, Spain

Santo Tomé el Viejo Church was built outside the walls in the mid-12th century opposite the Gate of El Peso de la Harina (which was opened up in the 16th century when the Gate of El Obispo was closed).

Built in Caleno granite, besides some of its interior elements, it conserves the 12th-century east and south entrances, with their semi-circular arches and archivolts set on columns on the west porch and on the fascia of the capitals to the south; they boast a declaration made up of figurative, plant and geometric motifs. In 1520, the apses were removed from the upper end, together with the arches that separated the naves (replaced by columns forming two large arches on each side) and the layout was reduced to one rectangular nave.

Besides its function as a church, this Romanesque building has had many uses. After the sale of church land ordered by Mendizábal, it became a private building and was used as a garage and petrol station until 1960, when it was acquired by the State. It was designated a National Monument in 1963. It is currently an annex of the Provincial Museum and is used as a storage area for stone archaeological items; it is also open to the general public.

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Ávila Tourism

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Pablo G. (10 months ago)
This Romanesque building is an annex to the museum that functions as a warehouse that can be visited. It has a little bit of everything like the museum. The large Roman mosaic in the main area and the archaeological pieces stand out. As well as vintage cars and posters.

Pilar Fernández Cruz (2 years ago)
Free museum where you can see some of the valuable material remains left by Roman, Vetonese or Arab societies in the community. If you like archeology it is an unmissable visit. You can expand the information on the most noteworthy works by accessing four videos through the qr codes.

Jeffrey Feld (2 years ago)
An annex to the nearby Museo de Ávila, this free museum resides in a former church. Lots of archeological artifacts to examine. No English explanations.

Max Gaudon (4 years ago)
Wonderful place to visite, with many artefacts .

Maria G. (5 years ago)
It was quite a surprise and one of the highlights of our visit to Avila. This small museum contains an eclectic collection of big historical pieces, from pre-Roman to late medieval/renacentist era. Free visit, highly recommended for history enthusiasts!

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Zvonimir Hrvoj

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Santo Tomé el Viejo Church

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