The Church of Santa Maria del Naranco lies just outside the city on the slopes of Mount Naranco. This magnificent pre-Romanesque building was built about 850 AD as a hunting lodge, and was converted later in the 9th Century into a church. It is considered one of the finest of Asturian churches. The lower floor is a crypt and on the upper floor is a large hall with arcaded galleries at each end. It is decorated in the Byzantine style.
