A unique monumental complex featuring ancient murals and a central pool, ideal for admiring late Roman architecture and granite reliefs.

In 1926, after centuries of being buried, an extraordinary late Roman monumental complex was discovered next to the parish church of Santa Eulalia, or Santalla de Bóveda, some 14 kilometres from Lugo; five years later, it was declared a National Monument. Since then, a wide variety of hypotheses have been put forward regarding its original use, though no unanimous consensus has yet been reached. One of the most intriguing theories, though now considered highly implausible, is that it was a Priscillianist temple. What is certain is that it is a remarkable, and indeed unique, building, which appears to have no parallels, at least in the western half of the Roman Empire. Generally speaking, the prevailing view is that it was a temple dedicated to some water-related deity, probably the nymphs, though this does not rule out a practical, protective function. It is thought to have been built in the 3rd or 4th century. In later periods, the pagan site was Christianised and used as a church. From this second phase, some elements reminiscent of the Suebi and Visigothic periods remain. The original building, with an ‘in antis’ temple structure, had two storeys. Of the upper storey, only traces of the base of the vault remain, but the lower storey is almost entirely preserved. It has only one façade, as the temple was built by cutting into the slope of a small hill. Beneath a single vault, it is organised into three naves divided by arcades, with a rectangular niche or apse at the rear; in the central nave there is a basin that collected water from the spring. The paintings on the vault are largely preserved, and their beautiful birds can be admired in almost all their splendour after nearly two millennia. The façade and portico were modified during the Christian period, but they retain some granite reliefs that are probably original. The central hamlet of Santalla is also of great interest for its granite farmhouses and their layout.