Santa María del Naranjo, Pre-Romanesque church in Monte Naranco, Spain
Santa María del Naranjo is a pre-Romanesque church on Monte Naranco above Oviedo in Asturias. The stone structure has a rectangular floor plan with two levels and short lateral wings on each floor.
King Ramiro I ordered the construction in 842 as a royal palace. Monks later converted the building into a church and dedicated it to Saint Mary.
The building carries the name Holy Mary of the Orange Tree, though no orange trees grow on the mountain. Visitors today see slender columns with twisted motifs and arches dividing the interior into several sections.
The church opens from April through September on weekdays from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 15:30 to 19:00, and on Sundays from 9:30 to 13:00. The climb to Monte Naranco requires sturdy footwear and takes about 30 minutes on foot from the city center.
The building contains a barrel-vaulted crypt divided into five sections by arches. An outdoor altar carries an inscription from June 848 recording the original dedication date of the palace.
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