Los Alas Chapel, Gothic sepulchral chapel near San Francisco Church, Avilés, Spain.
Los Alas Chapel is a square Gothic sepulchral chapel in Avilés with a distinctive dome ceiling held up by hidden supporting beams. Its entrance displays a double archivolte decorated with angelic figures and columns that frame the doorway.
Pedro Juan ordered the construction of this chapel through his will in 1346, making it one of the earliest Gothic structures in northern Spain. The building has survived through the centuries as an important example of medieval sepulchral architecture.
The chapel shows how burial location became a way to display social standing in medieval times. Wealthy families built private chapels to keep their dead separate from common burial grounds.
The chapel sits along the Camino del Norte pilgrimage route and is easy to find while walking through Avilés. Visitors should know that the interior is a medieval structure with limited space, so comfortable footwear helps when exploring inside.
The chapel once held two tombs containing the remains of Pedro Juan's family, showing its importance as a family monument. A remarkable English alabaster altarpiece that once decorated the interior was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.
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