Mini guide to visit Santa Cristina de Lena

December marks the start of the season for visits to the pre-Romanesque church of Santa Cristina de Lena, an icon of Asturian Art and a legacy of the first Christian kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula, the Asturian Monarchy.

This unique pre-Romanesque church in the council of Lena was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1885 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. All the more reason for it to be one of your essential visits in Asturias. Let's go and discover it!

The council of Lena is located in the central area of Asturias, linked by the main communication routes with the Meseta: the Autopista de la Plata and the N-630. Next to the La Cobertoria train station, now the Asturian Pre-Romanesque Interpretation Centre, we find the LN-4 road, which brings us to a small lay-by next to a tunnel. You can park your vehicle there.

Crossing the tunnel, on the left hand side, we find the short stony path that leads us to the hill where the temple stands.

If you have mobility problems and need to reach the summit by road, you can continue along the LN-4 towards Felgueras, and use the access road.

You can discover the exterior on your own, taking a pleasant stroll. If you want to go inside, you must book a visit in advance. The guardian will open the temple - within a stipulated timetable - and will give a very entertaining historical and architectural overview, suitable for all ages.

The building we see today is the result of numerous renovations that have taken place throughout its history. The most significant of these were carried out in 1893, when the wooden roof was replaced by a vaulted one, and after the Revolution of 1934.

In spite of everything, the Greek cross plan, the main characteristic of Visigothic cruciform churches, has been preserved, which is why Santa Cristina de Lena is a unique example of Asturian architecture. Although it is not known who designed it, it is thought to have been built by the same master who designed Santa María del Naranco and San Miguel de Lillo, in Oviedo. Nor is it known with certainty whether the work was carried out during the reign of Ramiro I (842-850), or during that of his successor, Ordoño I (850-866). For these reasons it is impossible to establish an accurate chronology.

Many experts believe that the size of the church of Santa Cristina de Lena corresponds to that of a monastic church of lesser importance than the royal temples of Naranco. At the same time, the reuse of Corinthian capitals and Visigothic decorative elements are clear indications that it probably comes from an earlier temple. All this leads us to think that the church of Santa Cristina de Lena was a first commission, and, as a result of its success, the author was commissioned to build the Naranco temples.

Surrounding the building, one can clearly distinguish the rectangular nave, to which a portico and apse were added at the ends, and two smaller chambers in the centre of the sides.

The entire perimeter is reinforced with buttresses and only two original triforate windows remain. The only access door is in the portico, under a semicircular arch.

The carvings with which the church is decorated allude to the animal world and to military conflicts. At that time, skirmishes for territorial control were constant in the Cantabrian Mountains. Above the entrance portico there is a tribune that is accessed by a lateral staircase. On both sides there is space to accommodate pilgrims on the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela. The presbytery area is elevated and separated by a triumphal arch.

In the chancel there is a projecting space that is separated by an iconostasis that is unique in the Principality. Its three peralted arches rest on columns with Corinthian capitals and, in the central arch, there is a Visigothic doorway to delimit the space. In this space, during the consecration, a veil or curtain was placed so that it would be an intimate and reserved moment. Above the iconostasis there is another arcade of Mozarabic influence, which was added later.

The festival in honour of Santa Cristina de Lena is held on the last Sunday in July. After mass there is an auction of bread known as the Puya'l ramu. It may not be the best day to take in the architectural details of Asturian art, but it will undoubtedly be a pilgrimage in an incomparable setting.

- Caretaker's phone number: 609.942.153

- Tariff: Adults, €2; Children under 12, free; Teenagers, €1; Reduced price for groups (+20), €1.50/person.

- Closed: Every Monday and the month of November.

- Opening times: 1 April to 31 October: 11am-1pm and 4.30pm-6.30pm. From December to 31 March, mornings only.

Header photo: Carlos Salvo