Church of Santa Baia de Laias
About this heritage
The Church of Santa Baia de Laias is an 18th-century temple built over an earlier church from the 10th or 11th centuries, of Romanesque origin. Constructed with granite ashlar, it features a rectangular plan with a single nave, and a sacristy attached to the south wall. The nave and sacristy have gabled roofs, while the presbytery is covered with a hipped roof and topped with pinnacles. The main façade stands out for its entrance door with a semicircular arch and large molded voussoirs, above which the inscription reads: “Esta es iglesia de refugio sagrado” (This is a church of sacred refuge). Above, an oculus illuminates the interior. Under the cornice is the coat of arms of the Sarmiento family, with thirteen bezants arranged in three pales. The ensemble is crowned by a bell gable with two semicircular arch openings, rebuilt in 1941. Inside, there were three 18th-century altarpieces, now moved to the new parish church, among which the central one stands out, presided over by the image of Santa Baia. This church served as the parish church of Laias until the construction of the new one in 1971.
To learn more
The Church of Santa Baia de Laias is a very old and beautiful stone church. It has a single large hall and a side area for the priest. The entrance features a door with a large arch and above it, a round window. On the façade there is an ancient coat of arms and a tower with two bells. Inside, there were three altars with images of saints, but these are now in the new church. The main altar held the image of Santa Baia, the town's patron saint. This church was the most important one in Laias for many years.
To know it better
The Church of Santa Baia de Laias, built in the 18th century over a Romanesque structure from the 10th-11th centuries, is a significant example of rural Galician religious architecture. The building, with a rectangular plan and single nave, includes a sacristy attached to the south wall and gabled roofs on the nave and sacristy, and a hipped roof on the presbytery, topped with pinnacles. The main façade features a semicircular arch portal with large voussoirs and an external molding, above which is inscribed: “Esta es iglesia de refugio sagrado” (This is a church of sacred refuge). An oculus is located above the door, and under the cornice is the Sarmiento coat of arms (thirteen bezants in three pales). The bell gable, rebuilt in 1941, has two semicircular arch openings. The interior housed three Baroque altarpieces from the 18th century, now in the new parish church, highlighting the central one with the titular image of Santa Baia, as well as the side altars dedicated to San Bieito, San Xosé, the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of the Rosary, and Saint John the Baptist. The church served as the parish church until 1971.
Location
- Town
- Cenlle
- Municipality
- Cenlle
- Province
- Ourense
- Country
- Spain
The asset
- Eco-destination
- Río Miño – Ourense
- Environment
- Rural
How to get there
- Access
- By land
The visit
- Visitable
- Yes
Coordinates
- Latitud
- 42.32673
- Longitud
- -8.03061