The Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana de Santillana del Mar, Autonomous Community of Cantabria (Spain), which is named the Cantabrian town (Sant Iuliana – Santillana), is one of the most representative Romanesque monuments in the region. It was declared a National Monument in 1889.

Supposedly the young Juliana was martyred in Asia Minor (now Turkey) during the persecutions launched by Emperor Diocletian in the late third century, and his remains in the ninth century brought to here by some monks, pilgrims. Already at that time (the documents place him at 870) a chapel was built under the patronage of the holy and venerate their relics, and then a monastery that flourished under the protection of the local nobility. It was King Ferdinand I of Castile in 1045, who gave the final impetus for granting important privileges, one of which was placed under the sovereignty of their abbot villa and his possessions.

The original temple was replaced in the Romanesque period which, with various additions and alterations, has been preserved until today, which dates from the twelfth century. In the beginning was a Benedictine monastery, but in the eleventh century it acquired the status of collegiate governed by a community of canons of St Augustine.

The construction design responds to a church with three naves and transept of four sections, three semicircular apses, a cylindrical tower and dome of the transept. It completes the package with a cloister and abbey units. The nave is wider than the sides and equal to that of the transept, so the square transept. The arms of the transept does not protrude from the side walls so as not to appreciate the outdoors. The headwaters of the three vessels are formed by two semicircular apses staggered. At the foot of the nave was erected a square bell tower that is similar to the exterior appearance that is located on the cruise, giving a symmetrical image of the viewer to the church from the south facade.

On the formal and decorative, there are the existence of a main entrance on the south side open to allow access from the plaza, and another in the north wall that connects the church to the cloister. At this end of the first season became available after a triangular pediment Renaissance replacing the air wing on original Romanesque corbels, displays a niche containing the image of Santa Juliana in attitude to subdue the demon. Nor is the original fifteen arched gallery that runs along the top of the canvas south. The flaring of the cover is formed by archivolts voussoired smooth; line above a number of human figures rather deteriorated, especially in the center a mandorla supported by four angels which are in part a pantocrator seated.

The coverage of the ships is done by cross vaults, and the arms of the transept with barrel vaults apses are vaulted ceilings of furnace. Over the crossing stands a tower-shaped dome whose interior square at a level below the roof, there is a dome that rests on scallops.

An item of particular interest is the cloister attached to the end of the twelfth and early thirteenth to the northern wall of the church. In the first phase was built the south wing and part of the west wing, and into the thirteenth century this wing was completed and built the north wing. The east side is a later period (sixteenth century) and does not follow the guidelines of the Romanesque style.

Capitel.

The galleries consist of primitive arches supported by twin columns or quadruple. Altogether has 43 capitals of the oldest of the south side and west side first section, with stories of appreciable size merit, while the most recent topics vegetables.

Information obtained from www.wikipedia.org