Collegiate church and cloister of St Juliana

Collegiate church and cloister of St Juliana tickets: which one to buy

The Collegiate Church of Santa Juliana stands at the end of the main street of Santillana del Mar, a medieval village in Cantabria, northern Spain, and a small admission fee is charged for the church and cloister. It is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in Cantabria. Santillana del Mar is often called the town of three lies, because it is not holy (santa), not flat (llana) and has no sea (mar), and its cobbled streets and stone houses make it one of the most beautiful villages in Spain.

Visitors often combine the church with the Altamira Museum, about two kilometres away, which displays a replica of the famous prehistoric cave paintings, the Diocesan Museum, and the coastal towns of Comillas and San Vicente de la Barquera. Santillana is about half an hour from Santander by car or bus. The village is busy in summer. Parking is available outside the village, which is closed to most traffic.

Visiting Collegiate church and cloister of St Juliana: what to see

A monastery was founded here in the ninth century to hold the relics of Saint Juliana, a martyr from Asia Minor, and the village's name comes from Santa Juliana. The present church was built in the twelfth century in the Romanesque style, and it became a collegiate church, served by canons. The facade has a carved portal with a figure of Christ in majesty and the apostles, and a statue of Saint Juliana. Inside, the church has three naves, and the main altar holds a Renaissance altarpiece and a silver antependium from Mexico. The tomb of Saint Juliana stands in the church. The cloister, from the twelfth century, is the highlight, with carved capitals showing biblical scenes, knights, animals and geometric patterns, among the best Romanesque sculpture in northern Spain.

The church's tower and apse can be seen from the square behind the church. The church's apse is decorated with Romanesque carvings of animals and figures. The cloister's capitals include a scene of knights fighting and one of Daniel in the lions' den. The tomb of Saint Juliana is a Romanesque sarcophagus. The church's altarpiece, from the sixteenth century, is painted and gilded. The cloister's walls hold tombs of nobles of Santillana. The church's tower rises above the square. The square in front of the church has a fountain where cattle once drank. The village's houses carry the coats of arms of noble families.

Collegiate church and cloister of St Juliana opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, with a break at lunchtime and shorter hours in winter. Santillana del Mar is very busy in summer and at weekends, and early morning or late afternoon visits are more pleasant. Spring and autumn are quieter. The feast of Saint Juliana on 28 June brings celebrations. Cantabria's weather is mild and often rainy. Allow about forty minutes for the church and cloister, and walk through the village streets, trying the local sobaos and quesadas pastries. The Altamira Museum, a short drive away, displays a replica of the cave, the Neocave, with paintings of bison and horses.