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Santa María (St
Mary)
(Valverde) |
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From Cervatos, along the same
road to Palencia, after crossing the district of
Valdeolea and reaching Quintanilla de las Torres in the
territory of Palencia, one must take the turning to the
left to start the visit to Valderredible valley. This
land, located in the southernmost Cantabria, occupies
almost the whole depression formed by the eastern flow of
the Ebro. The particularity of this area is the link
between the ways of life of the Castilian Meseta and of
the mountain of Cantabria. This is at present scarcely a
polluted or inhabited area, as reflected by its amazing
state of preservation and environmental richness. Artistically,
this area is remarkable for its popular Romanesque and
Rupestrian churches, the latter being a typical
manifestation of the Christian communities in the period
of settlement, showing the influence of the Asturian and
Mozarabic styles in the horseshoe plan and arch. Before
reaching Santa María de
Valverde, one passes by the Romanesque churches of
San Andrés and San Martín de Valdeomar, small examples
of popular Romanesque in the area. Santa María de
Valverde, dug out of sandstone and with a Romanesque bell
gable on it, is the biggest of all the Rupestrian
churches. Driving along this road, the church of San Juan Bautista (St John
the Baptist) en Villanueva de la Nía appears on a
left hill, in which one Romanesque part and another from
a much later period can be appreciated. Immediately, one
can find the small village of Campo de Ebro, with a very interesting
popular architecture and where one third of the
Rupestrian churches can be found. Past Polientes, the
capital village of the district where a square in the
Castilian style seen in the centre of the village, one
arrives at Ruerrero, where the ruins of
the Ruerrero Tower can be seen
high on the left. Afterwards, the Rupestrian church of Cadalso, located on the
left side of the road, can be found and opposite there is
a medieval tower with a construction attached later.
Driving up to the end of the route, San Martín de
Elines, there is a crossroads after a few kilometres,
and, taking the left turning, the road goes directly to
the last Rupestrian church, the church of Arroyuelos. Returning
from here to the crossroads and going straight over it,
taking what was the right fork, now opposite, the
magnificent collegiate church of
San Martín is found in San Martín de
Elines, one of the most Romanesque buildings in
Cantabria where the sculptural work both in capitals and
corbels is remarkable. The
Mozarabic remains of the cloister and graveyard, as
well as the Rupestrian churches nearby, give evidence of
the early inhabitants in Valderredible. Little is known
of the history of this old Benedictine convent turned
into a collegiate church. It
must have become significant from the 10th century. It is
known that in 1102, the old church was ruined, and in the
second half of the 12th, the Romanesque work which can be
seen now was built.
In the rest of the district, in every village or spot,
one may find small Romanesque churches of the
above-mentioned characteristics along with an interesting
popular architecture.
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