St. Michael of Lillo (Spanish: San Miguel de Lillo, Asturian: Samiguel de Lliño) is a Roman Catholic church built on the Naranco mount, near the Church of Santa María del Naranco in Asturias. It was completed in 842 and it was consecrated by Ramiro I of Asturias and his wife Paterna in the year 848. It was originally dedicated to St. Mary until this worship passed to the nearby palace in the 12th century, leaving this church dedicated to Saint Michael. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Church of St. Michael of Lillo
San Miguel de Lillo (in Spanish)
Samiguel de Lliño (in Asturian)
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusInactive
Year consecrated848
Location
LocationOviedo (Asturias), Spain
Geographic coordinates43°22′49″N 5°52′6.2″W / 43.38028°N 5.868389°W / 43.38028; -5.868389
Architecture
TypeChurch
StylePre-Romanesque
Completed842
Specifications
Direction of façadeSSE
Length12 metres (39 ft)
Width10 metres (33 ft)
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, iv, vi
Designated1985 (9th session)
Parent listingMonuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias
Reference no.312-001
RegionEurope and North America
Official name: Iglesia de San Miguel de Lillo
TypeNon-movable
CriteriaMonument
Designated24 January 1885
Reference no.RI-51-0000046
Website
Official website
Ground plan

It originally had a basilica ground plan, three aisles with a barrel vault, although part of the original structure has disappeared as the building collapsed during the 12th or 13th century. Nowadays, it conserves its western half from that period, together with several elements in the rest of the church such as the fantastic jambs in the vestibule or the extraordinary lattice on the window of the southern wall, sculpted from one single piece of stone.

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9th century side window

See also

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References

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  • 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 2012-11-06.
  • Arias Paramo, Lorenzo (1992). "Geometría y proporción en la arquitectura prerrománica asturiana". Actas del III Congreso de Arqueología Medieval Española (in Spanish). Oviedo: Universidad de Oviedo: 27–37. ISBN 978-84-604-1916-7. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
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