Spanish UNESCO WHS

After a few months waiting, i've received yesterday 6 card from Spain, sent by Luís. All these 3 show monuments classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Foto: Paisajes Españoles

The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, together with Palau de la Música Catalana, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

I've been to Barcelona last march visited the Palau de la Música Catalana. It wasn't in my plans to visit the Hospital, i've only seen it from the outside but even if i wanted to visit it, it would be possible because it was closed for renovation works. 

Surpresily i didn't find any cards of this Hospital and that's why i chose this card from Luis' albuns.

The former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, is a complex built between 1901 and 1930, designed by the Catalan modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. 

It was a fully functioning hospital until June 2009, it is currently undergoing restoration for use as a museum and cultural center.

Although the hospital's current buildings date from the 20th century, the Hospital de Sant Pau was founded in 1401 when six small medieval hospitals merged.

© Fisa - Escudo de Oro, S. A. 

 This the Santa Maria del Naranco church, situated 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Oviedo, northern Spain.

The architectural structure of what was once the residence of king Ramiro I, later converted into a church, became a reference point for Romanesque buildings.

This monument is in the pre-Romanesque style, and is set at the foot of Naranco Mountain. It is among the monuments of Oviedo and Asturias which have been awarded the World Heritage designation by the UNESCO. King Ramiro I ordered its construction in 848 and used it as a royal palace; it was later converted into a church. The building has a rectangular floor plan on two floors, each with a central section and two shorter lateral wings. There is a half barrel-vaulted roof throughout the building, except in the lateral rooms on the ground floor which have wooden ceilings. The altar is located outside the actual church and has an inscription dating from 23 June 848. Also worth seeing are the barrel-vaulted crypt, divided into five arms by Perpignan-style arches, and the vaulted hall, open to the exterior via arch-shaped windows. - in: http://www.spainisculture.com/en/monumentos/asturias/iglesia_de_santa_maria_del_naranco.html

© Edilesa - Foto: Archivo Edilesa / M. Martin 

San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries (Yuso in the front and Suso in the background) are classified as UNESCO WHS since 1997.

The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the basis of criteria (ii), (iv) and (vi), considering that the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso at San Millán de la Cogolla are exceptional testimony to the introduction and continuous survival of Christian monasticism, from the 6th century to the present day. The property is also of outstanding associative significance as the birthplace of the modern written and spoken Spanish language.

The Spanish language was born in these monasteries, San Millán Suso and Yuso, and they form an important part of the history of humanity. Because of the identification and inter-relationship of the two monasteries with elements of the Mozarabic, Visigothic, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque styles, the architecture and the natural landscape bring together highly significant periods in the history of Spain. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/805