"Wonderful restoration work. They've used a scalpel to remove the layer of lime from when it was used as a hospital and have managed to bring to light the original frescoes and colors. It's a marvel!"

Isabel Oña

"Built on the site of the ancient Roman basilica of Turobriga, it opens its doors to the recently excavated remains of the Roman city. In addition to its beautiful medieval architecture, it also boasts mural paintings and meticulous restoration. It is shown to us with such love that we understand we are in a unique corner of the world, preserved through the ages, cultures, and civilizations that have passed through and remained in this magical place. It is a pilgrimage site for the town of Aroche on its famous and beloved pilgrimage, with a picnic area, restrooms, and the cobbled path from the town, making this an unforgettable walk."

Luis jimenez vicioso

"The Hermitage of San Pedro de la Zarza, now popularly known as San Mamés, was built in the late 13th and early 14th centuries and is located in the archaeological site of the Roman city of Turóbriga. It is a basilica-style building with three naves separated by pointed arches with alfiz arches resting on chamfered rectangular pillars. The central apse features a semicircular apse with a radial vault, preceded by a rectangular section covered by a six-part rib vault. The side apse ends in flat gables and is covered by wooden canopies that form the gabled slope of the roofs.

To this main core were added, in different extensions, several peripheral rooms intended as a sacristy, warehouse and living quarters for the sacristan attached to the Epistle side, as well as the tower-façade that rises above the gable and is composed of a reed, in whose lower third opens a large pointed arch that serves as the main entrance and is the oldest of the three that the temple has, the body of the tower and the bell tower, with five semicircular openings with an alfiz and topped by a polygonal spire and four pyramidal elements at the corners. This complex, together with the preceding portico of lowered arches, a companion to the Epistle façade, forms the most striking exterior volumetric view. We can find Roman ashlars in the basement and some corner reinforcements, limestone masonry with irregular, medium-sized blocks in the central core of the building, and brick in the doorways, windows, tower, and straight section of the apse—elements corresponding to the 15th and 18th-century interventions.

The interior of the church is plastered and whitewashed, which for centuries has hidden the mural-based decoration, which adds great heritage value. These are located on the side walls, pillars, arches, and pulpit, mixing different typologies (decorative and figurative) and painting techniques, although all can be dated to around the mid-15th century.

Since 1984, various areas have been restored, particularly those found on the north or Gospel wall, where the upper part of the panel features three panels depicting Saint Christopher, the Annunciation, and the Last Supper. The first, wearing a red tunic, appears with his usual iconography, that is, as a giant supporting the Child Jesus, leaning on a palm tree and also carrying a mill wheel. This depiction features five possible pilgrims, represented on a smaller scale, on the Saint's belt. The central panel depicts the scene of the Annunciation with Saint Gabriel in a reverent attitude carrying a phylactery, and the Virgin kneeling before a prie-dieu. The composition demonstrates the artist's concern with achieving a perspective effect by arranging the room's flooring in a herringbone pattern. The Last Supper is depicted in the area immediately adjacent to the end wall. The figures, with Jesus in the center, are positioned before a large table, except for Judas Iscariot, who appears before it with his back to the viewer. All the figures are individualized by their faces, posture, and clothing, with John reclining on the table being the most notable. The three scenes are separated but framed by a border of floral motifs. Below the Annunciation, which is smaller than the other two, is a checkerboard pattern with three-dimensional effects. In all the paintings, drawings based on ochre lines predominate over color, with a flat, undistinguished character, highlighting the use of red. Stylistically, they are in the International Gothic style, although their formal archaism links them to a local master. Remains of geometric decorative paintings framing panels and a possible representation of Saint Peter with his attributes can be found on the pulpit."

Jose Luis Garcia Tenorio