The
Collegiate Church of Santa María a Maior e Real de Sar
was built in the 12th century on the banks of the river of the same name and declared a National Monument in 1895. It is the temple that preserves the largest part of its Romanesque building of the whole city, in addition to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela itself.
The church is a classic example of this architectural style. The work on the first monastery dates from the second third of the 12th century and began with the chapels of the chancel. In fact, the temple was consecrated by Archbishop Diego Xelmirez before his death, with the works still unfinished.
Some of the most striking elements of the building are found on the exterior: the flying buttresses built between the 17th and 18th centuries to protect the northern walls and prevent their collapse.
One of the major problems of the enclosure is its structure. The interior walls and columns are visibly inclined, a situation that made it necessary to rebuild the barrel vault in the 16th century.
It is not known if all this is due to the intention of the promoters, although theorists point to a technical error in the construction, the steep elevation of the side naves or the landslide of the land on which it sits, often flooded by the river. This circumstance projects a sense of instability to all those who visit it and provides a unique attraction from an architectural and tourist point of view.
Through the sacristy you can access the cloister, the only one in Santiago Compostela, built according to the canon of the Romanesque style. Only one of the wings is preserved and the rest belongs to the XVII and XVIII centuries.
The interior, of beautiful proportions, impresses everyone who visits it because of the inclination of the columns towards the side naves. The baptismal font, to the right of the main door, is an interesting archaeological piece from the 12th century.
The main chapel of the church is polygonal and the side chapels are circular, covered with a barrel vault reinforced with toral arches. The whole complex has the typical Romanesque ornamental motifs, except for the main façade, of which only the lower part is preserved.
The building also houses the Museum of the Collegiate Church of Sar, where a collection of archaeological and liturgical pieces can be seen. The Church maintains regular worship hours, while the Museum is accessible to visitors from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
