Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor
Rising dramatically over Salas's Plaza de la Campa, this 16th-century collegiate church is the architectural soul of the town. Its single tower, Gothic nave and extraordinary Renaissance funerary chapel make it one of the finest small churches in all of Asturias.
The Valdés Chapel – A Renaissance Masterpiece
Inside the church, the Capilla de los Valdés is a jaw-dropping Renaissance pantheon commissioned by the family of the Grand Inquisitor Hernando de Valdés. Polychrome alabaster tombs, intricate stone tracery and a painted altarpiece fill a space that feels wildly ambitious for a town this size.
The recumbent effigies of the Valdés family are carved with extraordinary detail — armour scales, lace ruffs and serene faces that seem merely asleep. It is genuinely world-class funerary sculpture that most travellers have never heard of.
The Church Exterior and Town Square
Stand in Plaza de la Campa on a clear morning and the church tower catches the Asturian light beautifully, its golden stone contrasting with the green hills behind. The square itself is lined with arcaded buildings and a handful of sidrerías where you can recover from your cultural exertions.
The church is still an active parish, so timing your visit to avoid Sunday Mass is wise — but arriving just as the bells ring is an experience in itself.
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