Mysteries of Asturian Art: San Miguel de Lillo

Barely a hundred meters from the amazing building of Santa María del Naranco, another spectacular temple claims our attention without fail: San Miguel de Lillo or Liño.

It is an amazing building, which apparently only survives the church, whose height, however, induces attention, as it is possibly a reason for difference from the rest of the churches that make up the so-called Pre-Romanesque or Asturian Art.

In the history of San Miguel de Lillo, there is a circumstance very similar to that narrated in the first chronicles of the arthuric cycle, which form an important part of the so-called Matter of Brittany.

And, like the castle that was constantly collapsing, before the frustration of King Vortigern - who would later become the Uther Pendragon of the legend and father of Arthur, future king of England - it was located in a place where two underground water currents, which continually impeded the foundation seat.

These currents, the dragons alluded to by the magician Merlin in the legend, are also located here, so it is incomprehensible the reason that the anonymous builders of San Miguel de Lillo were determined to place in this place and not in another, such a beautiful temple, detail that makes part of it progressively sinking, with what we have to assume that its height would be much higher at first.

This makes, in addition, that part of the jambs, illustrated with typical representation of Daniel and the lions, are located at ground level, detail that gives it an even more mysterious aspect, conferring an importance to the place, not entirely determined by the experts and historians.

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