The church is from the 12th Century and has a longitudinal plan composed of a single nave and a semi circular East end on the exterior and polygonal in the interior. The columns of the main doorway support three archivolts- slightly pointed and decorated with spheres- that alternate between shafts with two different designs. The façade is completed by a gable and crowned with a cross. There are three doorways (one on the north and two on the south side). The north façade shows a pointed arch devoid of ornamentation and the two on the south side exhibit decorated voussoirs. Only ruins remain of the Church of Santa Maria attached to the northern side of the apse. The bell tower has three small windows with bells and is also completed by a gable.
The main chancel is relatively high and is early-Gothic. The interior exhibits an interesting collection of blind arches on the first level whilst three small arrow slits open up on the higher level. The space is crowned by a barrel vault separated from the presbytery by a toral arch. On the exterior, the apse is surrounded by a cornice with an archway.
In reference to the nave, a series of arches line the interior. They are supported by cantilevers with plant decoration identical to the decoration on the apse. Two figures of atlantes take on a structural function in the high wooden choir, one of a bare-breasted woman and the other of a man. Lastly, it is important to highlight some of the movable heritage that rests in the interior. San Pedro and San Lorenzo flank the triumphal arch and in the apse there is a wooden crucifix, a credenza and a wooden throne where the bishop once sat. The baptismal font is located beneath the choir.
The interventions in the church of Roriz were established on the basis of a definition of its priorities. To do this, we first conducted a precise diagnosis of the building that could help achieve the ultimate goal of ensuring its future conservation through discrete interventions and always respecting the authenticity of the building.
In this first phase, we conducted an interdisciplinary work involving architects, archaeologists, engineers, restorers and conservators, in order to draft a proposal for appropriate intervention and proper scheduling of jobs. The initial diagnosis showed that the immediate needs should focus on the rehabilitation of the covers, to prevent all the problems related to filtrations. The substitution of coverage included the addition of a waterproof membrane. The restoration and improvement of the original wooden structure and the application of protective treatments accompanied this work. As for the walls, in the Church of Roriz, that was suffering from structural problems, anchors were inserted at the corners and the Plan carried out the general reinforcement of the structure by strengthening the joints, using cement-free compatible mortars.
On the other hand, we also conducted the intervention in the hollows of the temple so we decided to discard the most recent woodwork and its replacement with other newly designed.
