Church of Santa María (Mixós)

The church of Santa María is a beautiful example of a Mozarab type of pre-Roman church with Visigoth influences, and possibly built in the 11th century. The earliest references to this building can be found in a 12th century document donated to the Monastery of Celanova to be purchased in the 16th century by the Count of Monterrei. It originally had a basilica layout of 3 naves separated by semicircular arches. It preserves from the original building: the head with 3 apses, squared to the exterior and semicircular inside plus arrow slits with pre-Roman motifs. In its construction we can note differences among the smaller ashlars settled over a podium and the more voluminous ones in the rest of the church. On the side walls we can see corbels which perhaps were the supports of a tribune set over a small chamber. The rest of the building subsequently underwent large modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries, making use of the medieval elements. It probably had a triple advocation without its crossing being joined to the central body slightly exempt in relation to the head line. Two Roman tombstones are preserved inside, one of which is dedicated to the pagan war god Bandúa, and paintings dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The layout of the building seems to refer to Asturian buildings of the period like San Miguel de la Escalada.

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