Logbook · 24 places

Santa Cristina de Lena

Lena, Caudal, Asturias

1 Villages · 8 Monuments · 6 Nature · 3 Activities · 5 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

Spain › Principality of Asturias › Caudal › Lena › Santa Cristina de Lena

Santa Cristina de Lena

Monument · Lena, Caudal, Asturias

Santa Cristina de Lena, famous for the three-arched iconostasis on marble columns that closes off the sanctuary, was built in the mid-9th century, in the year 852, under the reign of Ramiro I, which is why it is classed as ramirense alongside the monuments of Naranco. It stands on a hill in the parish of Felgueras, near Vega del Rey, overlooking the valley of the Lena river 3.5 kilometres from Pola de Lena; it may have had a Visigothic origin in the ancient foundation of San Pedro y San Pablo de Felgueras, dating from the 7th century. In 1793 Jovellanos visited it on horseback and sketched it on site, a milestone for its wider recognition. Listed as a Monumento Histórico Artístico (heritage protection category) in 1885, it underwent restoration work in 1887, 1919 and 1950; oral tradition says miners used it as a parapet during the revolution of 1934. Unesco inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Photo: Jose Luis Martinez Alvarez (CC BY-SA 2.0)

What to see and do in Lena