Tormes's Romanesque

The river Tormes, past the city of Salamanca, heads towards some towns that host Romanesque churches of great beauty.

In Almenara del Tormes is a humble 12th-century church which is a real jewel of the Salamancan Romanesque. Dedicated to Saint Mary, it has only one nave with an apse, where to observe friezes decorated with animal and vegetable motifs. The northern and southern façades are an example of the enormous virtuosity of their authors. The porch of the church of Torresmenudas is also worth visiting.

The river continues up to Ledesma, a town of abundant religious heritage. Out of the historical centre is the church of Santa Elena, a precious Romanesque jewel. It has one nave with a semi-circular apse and magnificent stone ashlars. When looking at it, one can quickly appreciate the corbels with detailed human faces decorating the cornice, as well as the archivolts of the northern façade.

Next to the capital city, the small village of Santibáñez del Río preserves the walls of another temple with interesting ornaments. In the main façade, there is a singular ensemble formed by a round arch and a relief depicting two beautiful herons drinking both from the same glass.