Santa Comba de Bande, Ourense Galicia, España - Abbeys, Convents and Monasteries on Waymarking.com

"Dating from the 7th century, it is the only building that remains from an old monastery, being declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1921. Small in size, the exterior is characterized by the wise play of volumes. It has a Greek cross plan, preceded by a portico on the sides of which there were two rooms. The same happens at the angles of the cross, so that in its exterior layout, the church appears as a large rectangle from which only a rectangular apse stands out. The interior, of great austerity, is totally vaulted, except for the side rooms that have wooden roofs. On the square of the transept there is a dome covered by an arched vault, built in brick. The apse that has the barrel vault, It starts with a decorated frieze and presents a beautiful openwork marble lattice. They are preserved from the Visigothic period: horseshoe arch marking the apse and four other horseshoe arches at the beginning of the barrel vaults (they seem to be round because the looped motif hides them). We find elements outside the Visigothic plan, not only referring to the restoration of the 9th century, but also reused materials from the Roman period: two of the altar columns, the marble tile of the altar table, two aras, a milestone converted into a baptismal font, etc.

Decorated with 16th century paintings. At the head is the scene of the Annunciation of the Virgin, with the angel Gabriel, the dove of the Holy Spirit and a figure with a chasuble, possibly S. Martin. In the vault God the Father with his crucified Son in his arms and the four evangelists with their symbols. In the soffit the sun and the moon on a starry background. Palms and unleavens are also painted on the vault and on the soffit.

In the chapel on the right we find the sarcophagus of San Torcuato, one of the first disciples of the Apostle Santiago. His remains were in it until the 10th century, when they were taken to the monastery of San Salvador de Celanova. The tomb appears very worn because the devotees scraped it, to carry the dust of it as a relic.
Outside the wall of the temple you can see the remains of an attached chapel where baptisms were practiced so that people could enter the church as Christians. Today the baptismal font is still preserved. Attached to the walls of the atrium is a fountain called the Well of Lovers."

Font: (visit link)

Full name of the abbey/monastery/convent: Santa Comba de Bande Address: Lugar Sta. Comba, 45, Santa Comba, Bande, Ourense, Galicia España 32846 Religious affiliation: benedictina Date founded/constructed: VII century Web Site: [Web Link] Status of Use: Converted to Other Use

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/26/2020 Ariberna visited it