The church known as the Bishops' Chapel is a Roman Catholic pre-Romanesque church located next to Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain. It stands in the Boides valley, the place where Alfonso III of Asturias was detained when he was dispossessed by his sons, and where there used to be an old convent governed by the Benedictine Order, substituted in the 13th century by the Cistercians. The consecration of this church happened on 16 September 893, with seven bishops in attendance.
The church resides next to the Monasterio de Santa María de Valdediós. It follows a classic basilica ground plan, featuring a triple sanctuary which divides the central nave from the side aisles using four semicircular arches. At the west end, there are three enclosures, the central one acting as a vestibule, with the ones on the left and right potentially housing pilgrims. The barreled vault over the central nave, much like the one over the apses, boasts a brick ceiling decorated with al fresco wall painting, showcasing a variety of geometric patterns.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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