Asturias - Santa Eulalia de Ujo, the church that moved to give way to the train

Pin
Send
Share
Send

Church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo in the Central Mountain of Asturias

When you see a Gothic or Renaissance church, it is easy to foresee that the temple can be an evolution of a Romanesque church, which over the centuries has expanded and increased.

But in the Central Mountain from Asturias you can see a different evolution of a ancient romanesque church, which was reformed as a result of industrial development.

Specifically I mean the church of Santa Eulalia, in the parish of Ow from the council of You want, whose original Romanesque building was modified at the beginning of the 20th century to facilitate the extension of the layout of the railway line for the transport of the then fruitful production of coal.

I explain.

Ancient apse of the Romanesque church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo in Asturias

In Ow there was a small Romanesque church dating back to the 12th-13th centuries, with a single nave and east-west orientation, which was a stage in the Camino de Santiago through Asturias.

But in 1922, before the project to expand with more routes the railway route that passed next to it, with the intention of promoting the transport of coal from this mining valley, the decision was made to demolish the historic Romanesque church, and in return, build a new one with north-south orientation.

This new church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo It is the one that you can now see next to the railway station, in one of the main squares of this small town of You want.

Cover with Romanesque elements of the Church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo in Asturias

But the funny thing is that when building the new church, it was decided to take advantage of three constructive elements of the previous Romanesque.

The most important is the ancient apse, which you will now see as a side chapel on the east facade of the new temple.

It was also reused The cover, which is now oriented to the north, and which maintains the original sculptural groups. And finally, the arch decoration that appears relocated on the current apse.

Therefore, we cannot say that the current church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo It is a Romanesque church, but it is a curious church that presents Romanesque elements.

Interior of the Church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo in Asturias

Of course, during the visit of this church, the pastor sent us his complaints about the cracks that are forming in the church building as a result of rail traffic (the tracks pass very, very close to the building), to what he is not having answer of Renfe.

In the end will we have to reform the church again to save it from a new demolition?

Here you have more photos of the church of Santa Eulalia de Ujo, in the Central Mountain of Asturias. Do not miss the black and white photo of the old Romanesque church, before its remodeling in 1922.





Pin
Send
Share
Send