CHURCH OF SAINT MARTIN
It is known that it was a family monastery founded in the 10th century, and that it was part of the founding endowment of the Corias monastery.
It has a single nave covered with a barrel vault, two shallow chapels on the left, between the buttresses and, on the right, another chapel that was owned by the Llano Flórez family, as attested by the coat of arms with the arms of this lineage.
The main altarpiece (1710-1720) is by an unknown artist and is an outstanding example of the evolved production of the Corias Workshop. It houses the images of Saint Martin, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Joseph with the Child, in the main body, and the Child Jesus (with a naturalistic aesthetic, by a follower of Pedro Sánchez de Agrela), in the top. The altarpiece retains its original polychromy.
In the nave there are other altarpieces from the Corias Workshop: That of Our Lady of the Rosary is from around 1700 and is the work of Manuel de Ron, who also created the main altarpiece of the Santuario del Acebo. The altarpiece of San Antonio de Padua (around 1730) contains the image of the Ecstasy of the saint (third quarter of the 18th century). That of the Holy Christ was made by Juan García in 1759, as revealed by the inscription on the base of the bench, and has the peculiarity that the crucified Christ is carved from a single piece of wood.
Finally, the altarpiece of the Llano Flórez chapel (ca. 1770) is presided over by the image of Saint Dominic (1655-1660), by Pedro Sánchez de Agrela. The Immaculate Conception and Saint John the Evangelist are from the mid-17th century and of popular manufacture. Lastly, an image of Saint Michael the Archangel fighting the devil is located in the attic of the altarpiece.
Worthy of mention is the baptismal font that we can see at the front of the church, dating from the 12th-13th centuries.
(Text taken from the book by Pelayo Fernández "Artistic guide to Cangas del Narcea: churches, monasteries and chapels", published by Tous Pa Tous, the Cangas Society of Country Lovers and the Cangas del Narcea City Council).
THE CHURCH OF SAN MARTÍN DE BESULLO OPENS FOR RELIGIOUS SERVICES EVERY SUNDAY, THIS BEING THE SUITABLE DAY TO VISIT THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS CLOSED FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK AND, IN OUR GUIDED TOURS, WE TELL YOU ITS HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS FROM THE INSIDE.
THEREFORE, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RELIGIOUS ART, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO TAKE THE GUIDED TOUR ON A SUNDAY.
