San Julián de los Prados

Church of San Julián de los Prados
Church of San Julián de los Prados
	Facade of the church of San Julián de los Prados
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Church
Year consecrated	9th century
Location
Location	Oviedo (Asturias), Spain
Geographic coordinates	43°22′3.7″N 5°50′14.1″W / 43.367694°N 5.837250°W
Architecture
Architect(s)	Tioda
Type	Church
Style	Pre-Romanesque
Specifications
Direction of façade	SE
Length	30 metres (98 ft)
Width	25 metres (82 ft)
	UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Designated	1985 (9th session)
Parent listing	Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
Reference no.	312-005
Region	Europe and North America

San Julián de los Prados, also known as Santullano, is a Pre-Ramirense church from the beginning of the 9th century in Oviedo, the capital city of the Principality of Asturias, Spain. It is one of the greatest works of Asturian art and was declared an Historical-Artistic Monument by the Spanish Ministry of Culture in June 1917 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 2 December 1998.

The church's construction was ordered by Alfonso II of Asturias and it was built by the court architect Tioda c. 830.^[1] It is dedicated to the martyred Egyptian saints Julian and Basilissa.

Architecture[edit]

The spacious church clearly displays the characteristics of its style. It is of basilican plan with a nave and two aisles separated by square piers which support semi-circular arches and with a transept of impressive height. The iconostasis, that separates the sanctuary from the rest of the church is remarkably similar in appearance to a triumphal arch. The size and originality of the church stands out and distinguishes it from works of Visigothic art. However, without doubt, that which most attracts attention to this church is the pictorial decoration, with aniconic frescoes (stucco, very well executed), painted in three layers, with architectural decoration that bears clear Roman influences. Although it appears more a monastic rather than a royal church, a gallery was reserved for the king in the transept.

Of the three original entrances to the church, two have been filled in.

Decoration[edit]

Sculptural[edit]

The only sculptural decoration that has survived to the present day is that of the marble capitals on which rest the semi-circular arches. There are also two marble flagstones with hexagonal geometric figures and floral motives that are found in the central chapel.

Pictorial[edit]

The pictorial decoration is the most important element that can be seen in the church. It is without doubt the most important of its time, in its extent and conservation as much as in the variety of designs represented, in all of Western Europe.^[2]^[3]

Notes[edit]

^ Moffitt, John Francis (1999). The Arts in Spain. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20315-6.
^ It can only be compared in extent with the church of St. John of Müstair, a Carolingian church in Graubünden, Switzerland, whose frescoes date from c.800AD. In Germany, on Reichenau Island, is found the church of St. George of Oberzell. In this church the frescoes are also of a similar extent but they date from the tenth century
^ García de Castro Valdés, César (2004). Santa María de Arzabal. Oviedo: Ediciones Nobel. ISBN 978-84-8459-181-8. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

References[edit]

Arias Páramo, Lorenzo (1997). San Julián de los Prados. Arte prerrománico asturiano (in Spanish). Gijón: Trea Ediciones. ISBN 978-84-89427-74-7.
Arias Páramo, Lorenzo (1991). Iglesia de San Julián de los Prados. Dibujos Planimétricos. Fundación Museo Evaristo Valle. ISBN 978-84-604-0881-9.
Moffitt, John F. (1999). The arts in Spain (in Spanish). London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20315-6.
de Selgas, Fortunato (1908). Monumentos ovetenses del siglo IX (in Spanish). Nueva Impr. de San Francisco de Sales. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.

Gallery[edit]

Exterior of the church
Entrance
Interior
Interior with mural paintings
Interior with mural paintings

External links[edit]

[1] Moffitt, John Francis (1999). The Arts in Spain. London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-20315-6.

[2] It can only be compared in extent with the church of St. John of Müstair, a Carolingian church in Graubünden, Switzerland, whose frescoes date from c.800AD. In Germany, on Reichenau Island, is found the church of St. George of Oberzell. In this church the frescoes are also of a similar extent but they date from the tenth century

[a-3] García de Castro Valdés, César (2004). Santa María de Arzabal. Oviedo: Ediciones Nobel. ISBN 978-84-8459-181-8. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e World Heritage Sites in Spain
For official site names, see each article or the List of World Heritage Sites in Spain.
North West	Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias Roman walls of Lugo Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) Tower of Hercules	Flag of Spain
North East	Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests⁵ Caves of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain¹ Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon Pirineos - Monte Perdido² Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries Vizcaya Bridge
Centre	Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests⁵ Aranjuez Cultural Landscape Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida Archaeological Site of Atapuerca Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-mural Churches Burgos Cathedral Old Town of Cáceres Historic Walled Town of Cuenca Monastery and Site of El Escorial Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija³ Las Médulas Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Route of Santiago de Compostela¹ Old City of Salamanca Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct Siega Verde⁴ Historic City of Toledo University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares
East	Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, Tarragona Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona Palmeral of Elche Poblet Abbey Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹ Silk Exchange in Valencia Works of Antoni Gaudí
South	Alhambra, Generalife and Albaicín, Granada Cathedral, Alcázar and General Archive of the Indies, Seville Dolmens Site of Antequera Doñana National Park Historic Centre of Córdoba Madinat al-Zahra Renaissance Monuments of Úbeda and Baeza Rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin¹
Balearic Islands	Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca
Canary Islands	Garajonay Risco Caído and the Sacred Mountains San Cristóbal de La Laguna Teide National Park
¹ Shared with other region/s ² Shared with France ³ Shared with Slovenia ⁴ Shared with Portugal ⁵ Shared with Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany

v t e Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
UNESCO World Heritage Site
312-001: San Miguel de Lillo 312-002: Santa María del Naranco 312-003: Santa Cristina de Lena 312-004: Cámara Santa de Oviedo 312-005: Basilica of San Julián de los Prados 312-006: La Foncalada