Church of San Lorenzo in Gijón, Religious site in coastal Gijón, Spain.
The Church of San Lorenzo stands on Calle Cabrales in Gijón, built in the Neo-Gothic style to a design by Luis Bellido y González. It has a Latin-cross plan with three naves, the taller central nave admitting natural light. The main facade is flanked by two towers with pinnacles and triforium arches, with a large rose window between them and a triple portal whose central entrance is crowned by a gable. Sandstone faces the facades, with brick vaults and reinforced concrete in columns, arches and ribs.
The first stone was laid on 23 August 1896, and foundation work began in January 1897. The church was consecrated on 9 August 1901 and inaugurated the next day, the feast of San Lorenzo, with a mass led by Bishop Ramón Martínez Vigil and first parish priest Ángel Valdés. Damaged in the Civil War, it was rebuilt between 1938 and 1948 under Manuel García Rodríguez, who kept the original design and materials but removed the spires atop the towers.
The parish received a relic of Saint Lawrence in 2024: a bone fragment donated by the Vatican from Milan Cathedral, presented at a Mass on 31 December 2024. It opened a year of celebrations for the 1800th anniversary of the saint's birth in 2025. The church is on Calle Cabrales.
The church stands on Calle Cabrales, built attached to the neighbouring buildings rather than free-standing, so the full facade is best seen from the street opposite. The triple portal opens between two towers topped with pinnacles; the central doorway is crowned by a gablet. Look up for the large rose window between the towers.
The church is attached to neighbouring buildings rather than standing free, as Luis Bellido designed it. The 1938–1948 reconstruction by Manuel García Rodríguez kept the original plan and materials but removed the spires that once topped the towers, which now end in pinnacles. The facade bears two coats of arms: those of Gijón and of bishop Ramón Martínez Vigil.
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