San Martín de Tours in Fromista

I was very excited about the next leg of our trip -- staying for two days at a parador (an inn sponsored by the Spanish government) at the base of massive cliffs in Spain's Picos de Europa National Park. On the way, we made one stop -- in Fromista, where San Martín de Tours can be found.

One of Spain's best Romanesque churches

Fromista is on a major stopping point for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago (also known as the Way of St. James) -- a 500-mile route to the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela from France. We saw a few pilgrims in town -- standard uniform is shorts, small backpack, hiking shoes and walking sticks.

The church is lovely. 

The ceiling

Begun in the second half of the 11th century by will of queen Mayor of Castile, as part of a monastery that has since has disappeared, the church received several additions in the 15th century: a bell tower over the original dome and a sacristy. After the Middle Ages it started to decay, and in the 19th century it was declared no longer fit for use as a church. A massive restoration began in 1894 and it was reopened to the public in 1904.

Both the details and the structure are lovely

St. Martin has a typical Romanesque exterior with two cylindrical bell towers and an octagonal dome. 

The exterior

There are a few windows enclosed in rounded arches. The interior is on the basilica plan, with four bays separated by piers.

We had the place to ourselves; Left photo: Scott Stevens

The apses have several medieval sculptures, including a 13th-century Christ in the nave. 

Imagine: this is from the 13th century!

Some of the capitals have motifs of plant life, human figures or depictions of stories, such as that of Adam and Eve or the Fox and the Grapes. 

So many stories

Even the locks and hinges are works of art.

The door lock, left, is designed to resemble an angel

And, there's a chicken on the roof ...

I don't know why

After touring the church, we had some delicious pizza and spaghetti carbonara, we headed off to the Picos. As we drove, the terrain became more and more mountainous, the traffic much lighter, the roads more winding and -- unfortunately -- the weather rainy and cloudy. But, it was lovely.

An unexpected landscape for Spain

Trip date: April 25-May 15, 2015