We return with renewed curiosity to the monastery of San Juan Bautista, known to many as "El Escorial asturiano" (the Asturian Escorial), and more familiar to all of us as the Parador de Corias. What is now a majestic hotel overlooking the Narcea River was the spiritual heart of western Asturias centuries ago. And this hidden history is precisely what we want to reveal to you today.
A monastery with a thousand-year-old soul
The monastery of San Juan Bautista de Corias was once the second largest in Spain, surpassed only by El Escorial. The original initial construction was promoted by a group of counts who decided to build a Romanesque church dedicated to San Juan Bautista, the patron saint associated with water, in an area abundant in springs and rivers.
Over time, two more churches were built on the remains of the original church, each adapted to the style and needs of the time. The last church, built in the 18th century, was renovated by the famous architect Ventura Rodríguez, who gave it the monumental appearance that we admire today.
A discovery that rewrites history
During the restoration work to transform the building into a Parador, archaeologists made a surprising discovery: the foundations of the first Romanesque church still lay beneath the ground. Next to them was a foundation stone bearing the coat of arms of Count Piñolo Jiménez and Countess Aldonza Muñoz, testimony to the medieval origins of the complex.
This discovery not only provided a valuable fragment of the past but, also, proved that Romanesque architecture had arrived in Asturias earlier than previously thought, thus expanding the historical map of art in the north of the peninsula.
Sleeping among centuries of history
Today, visitors to the Parador can walk through the same corridors once trodden by monks and nobles, and contemplate the remains of the original temple integrated into the building's museum tour. The natural surroundings, with spectacular views of the River Narcea, complete a unique experience where art, history and tranquillity come together.
And most curiously, this is the only Parador shared with a religious community, the Dominicans, who continue to manage the adjoining church. A harmonious coexistence that makes this place a true journey into the past, without leaving the present.
