Église rupestre de Cadalso, Cave church in Valderredible, Spain.
The Iglesia Rupestre de Cadalso is a church carved from sandstone in Valderredible with a single rectangular nave covered by a barrel vault and ending in a quadrangular apse. The interior displays an original semicircular triumphal arch, while two medieval tombs have been carved into the rock outside the structure.
The church was built between the 7th and 10th centuries, during the period of Christian expansion in northern Spain. This era led to the creation of many similar rock churches throughout the Valderredible region.
This church is one of around fifty rock churches scattered across Valderredible, showing how early Christians carved their places of worship directly from the sandstone. This way of building shaped both the local landscape and how people in the region understood faith and community for centuries.
Access is by way of a marked walking path near the village, and visitors should bring comfortable shoes and allow time to explore the surrounding area. The terrain is open and relatively easy to walk, though the path can be unpaved in places.
The facade still shows traces of an ancient porch, and the window openings mix round and rectangular shapes. This variety of details reveals different building phases and adjustments made over many centuries.
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