Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor

What to see in Toro

Collegiate Church of Santa María la Mayor

Its construction dates back to the 12th century. It belongs to a group of transitional Romanesque churches known as the “Cimborrios del Duero”.

The church has a basilica plan with three naves and a transept crowned by a dome. Compared with other local buildings, the Collegiate Church has a more international character, connected with the artistic currents that travelled along the Camino de Santiago.

It was built in two different phases: first the general layout, walls and side portals, and later the roof and the dome. The northern portal is one of the finest examples of Romanesque art in Zamora, with archivolts decorated with plant and religious motifs.

The Portico of Majesty, accessed from inside the church, is an impressive sculptural ensemble that preserves its original polychromy. The sacristy houses a small museum with important works such as the Painting of the Fly, a 17th-century ivory and tortoiseshell Calvary and a collection of religious goldsmithing, painting and imagery. Inside the church, the Pregnant Virgin from the 12th century and the Baroque organ are also especially noteworthy.

This place forms part of the cultural heritage that makes Toro one of the most interesting destinations in Zamora for a monumental, wine-focused and gastronomic getaway.

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