Church of San Martín de Escoto (Llames de Parres)

The church of San Martín de Escoto, located in the vicinity of Soto de Dueñas in Llames de Parres, council of Parres (Asturias, Spain), seems to have been related to the old monastery of Benedictine nuns in that locality. Its origin could have been pre-Romanesque or Romanesque. In the middle of the 16th century it was rebuilt, probably with materials from the convent church of San Martín de Soto.

It consists of a single nave with square head and a chapel of trapezoidal plant, decorated with fresco paintings, attached to the south side of the headboard; this one is covered with simple ribbed vault and highlighted key, reinforced on the outside by buttresses in the angles, while the nave does with wooden structure to two waters and the chapel with barrel vault. At the start of the nerves of the vault appear decorative elements of clear Romanesque tradition: two human faces schematized, a fuzzy animal and a vegetal theme similar to the one that decorates the impositions of the triumphal arch.

This, probably rebuilt, is supported by two chamfered jambs built in squared well squared and capitals with vegetal decoration. It has decorative elements of gothic tradition: alfiz framing the arch of a half point on the doors, decoration carved on the jambs with heraldic motifs and vase. On the key of the arc of the western door there is a relief that represents the Cross of the Angels.

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