San Nicolás Church

Ávila, Spain

San Nicolás church stands in the suburb of the same name outside the walls, a medieval quarter inhabited by Christians and dedicated to agriculture and sheep farming. It also had a large number of Mudejar residents. It was built in Caleno granite in the late-Romanesque style of Ávila between the second half of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th. The upper end and porches remain from the original construction.

The three entrances take the form of semi-circular arches with archivolts. The northern entrance is the most ornamental and is decorated with wedges, palmettes and ivy leaves, which are very typical motifs on Romanesque churches in Zamora. The capitals of the archivolts have plant motifs.

The tower is built on to the upper end from the North. It is divided into three bodies and shows two periods of construction. A Vetton animal sculpture was reused for the plinth.

It has three naves: the central nave opens into a large apse and the side naves into rectangular chapels. Except for the upper end, the temple was covered with Baroque-style plasterwork in the 17th century.

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Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Spain

More Information

www.avilaturismo.com

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Pater “Pater112” 112 (20 months ago)
Another jewel of the Avila Romanesque. Too bad visiting hours are so limited.
david howells (21 months ago)
Avila A walk around the walled city of Ávila. It is a city in the rolling hill country northwest of Madrid. It’s best known for its intact medieval city walls, with 80-plus crenelated, semicircular towers (compared to Conwy Castle’s 21) and 9 gates, including the arched El Alcázar, on the eastern side. Long sections atop the walls are walkable. Very much like Conwy but without an actual dog’s mutts castle! A stunning stunning place to spend the day ❤️. World Heritage Site No 6. Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (Nine of them). St Nicholas church being one of them.
T V (2 years ago)
An architectural jewel of the late Romanesque from Avila, very sober but very pretty. Easy parking in the area. Many bars and restaurants in the surroundings. Although Ávila has a lot to see, if you can visit it. There is no schedule of views not of worship abroad
Emilio Gonzalez Rodriguez (3 years ago)
Romanesque church from the initial period near the old Muslim cemetery of Ávila. This Church of San Nicolás gives its name to the neighborhood and the city council has respected its site, leaving it in a garden and space between streets. In the semicircular entrance arches there are guards carved in stone with interlacing that recall a Visigothic influence. The chrismon of the side door that faces north stands out, a Christian symbol of the early times, carved in stone. The bell tower added to the perimeter of the church, recalls the Italian Byzantine churches, for its simple design and its own space. You can clearly see the construction periods for the different quarries that show their different colors and hardness. And thanks to Ávila's poverty, this jewel, a witness of the times, was kept without being recycled to make another more modern one in its place. That is why it is part of our history and shows us that we do not always have to modernize with the times as if it were better. Its solidity and beauty demonstrate it and teach us a lesson: in life it is only about learning and respecting, valuing what others built with so much effort, art and ingenuity. It will always draw our attention due to its solidity, its mimicry with the environment due to its materials and its colours, something that today is not always taken into account. Admiring it, believers or not, you have a respect because when you see the worked stone you already discover the human effort that has been dedicated to it.
fernando monzon (4 years ago)
Rather small, but very pretty and coquettish on the outside, although unfortunately closed so I can't say anything about its interior, but in the case of the Church, it is sure to be very clean and pretty
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