Santa Maria de Siurana, Romanesque church in Cornudella de Montsant, Spain.
Santa Maria de Siurana is a Romanesque church in Cornudella de Montsant with a single nave beneath a barrel vault and side chapels arranged in its rectangular structure. The south wall features a doorway whose three archivolts frame a sculpted tympanum showing Christ, the sun, and the moon.
The building was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries, following the arrival of Ramon Berenguar IV's forces in the region in 1154. Pope Anastasius IV later mentioned the church in a papal bull, recognizing its importance.
The church holds a wooden polychrome statue of the Virgin of Water, which visitors come to see and that defines the place as a local shrine. This figure is deeply rooted in the religious tradition of the region and is valued by people in the area.
The site sits on a hillside location outside the main village, so plan it as a separate visit. Expect uneven terrain and varying weather conditions at the elevated position.
An earlier statue of the Virgin was stolen in 1979, leading to the creation of the wooden figure seen today. This history shows how places adapt to loss and develop new meanings over time.
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