Colexiata de Santa María do Sar
Just 1.5 km southeast of the cathedral, the 12th-century Colexiata de Santa María do Sar is one of the most architecturally peculiar Romanesque churches in Spain — its interior columns lean dramatically outward as if the building is mid-collapse, braced by massive external buttresses added in the 18th century to stop it from doing exactly that. Almost no tourists find it, which makes the visit fee
The Architecture
The leaning columns of Santa María do Sar are not an accident or an illusion — the church was built on unstable marshy ground beside the Sar River, and the subsidence that began almost immediately after construction in 1137 gave the interior its uncanny, slightly vertiginous character. Standing at the nave and looking down the colonnade of tilting pillars is one of the strangest and most memorable architectural experiences in Galicia.
The exterior is severe and beautiful in the way that early Romanesque always is — undecorated granite, rounded arches, a small cloister with delicate carved capitals. The cloister houses a modest museum with fragments of Romanesque sculpture and a collection of documents related to the church's history.
The Setting
The church sits in a quiet residential neighbourhood beside a small river, surrounded by vegetable gardens and stone walls — a world away from the pilgrim crowds of the old town despite being barely a 20-minute walk. The walk there along the Rúa do Sar passes traditional Galician stone houses with wooden balconies overflowing with hydrangeas in summer.
The churchyard and surrounding meadow are peaceful spots to sit and decompress after the intensity of the cathedral quarter. In spring, the riverside path back towards the old town is particularly green and lovely.
Visiting Practically
The church is open to visitors Tuesday to Sunday, typically 10:00–13:00 and 16:00–19:00, though hours can vary — it is worth calling ahead or checking locally before making a special trip. Entry costs around €2 and includes the cloister museum.
To reach it on foot from the cathedral, walk south along Rúa do Franco, cross the Rúa das Galeras and follow signs towards the Sar River. The walk takes about 20 minutes and passes through some of the quietest, most authentic corners of the city.
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