CHARACTERISATION OF MORTARS FROM THE CHURCH OF SAN SALVADOR DE PRIESCA (VILLAVICIOSA, ASTURIAS)

The Church of San Salvador de Priesca, located in the town of Priesca, in the northeast of the council of Villaviciosa, Asturias, is one of the last examples of pre-Romanesque architecture in Asturias. Consecrated on 24 September 921, during the period after the reign of Alfonso III, it reflects the transition in Asturian art at the time.

The Church of San Salvador de Priesca was declared a National Monument on 5 February 1913, in recognition of its historical and artistic value. It is a significant testimony to Asturian pre-Romanesque art and forms part of the group of monuments that illustrate the architectural evolution of the region during the High Middle Ages.

The aim of this study was to characterise three samples of mortars from the church of San Salvador de Priesca (Villaviciosa, Asturias). For this purpose, a compositional, morphological and textural analysis has been carried out to provide objective and precise data on these materials.