The parish of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is located right in the center of the town, next to the entrances of the town wall. Built upon granite ashlars and formed by a polygonal East End, it is one of five churches conserved in the town. It is composed of a double-aisled nave that has small chapels incorporated in them. There are two towers; one at the foot of the church and another located on the southern façade, while the wide sacristy is attached to the north.
The building was extensively reformed in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was modified after it suffered a fire in 1887.
The building dates back to the Late Romanesque period around the 13th Century and is also linked to other buildings in Salamanca. From the Romanesque period, the church still conserves the north wall with a small doorway, the west façade with a more monumental doorway, and a large part of the south façade. The doorway, today, serves as the main door and was renovated around 1500.
On the original eaves, as well as in the chapel, there are remains of corbels. Also in the northern aisle in the main chancel, there are remains of a round arch that could be from the Romanesque period. Judging from the remains that are still conserved today around the perimeter of the nave, the original Romanesque building probably possessed similar dimensions as the building that exists today.
The work in the church of San Felices de los Gallegos will guarantee the conservation of the church. Descripción corta: Adapting the electrical installation and guaranteeing the preventive conservation of the church and the movable goods housed within are two of the main objectives of the Románico Atlántico restoration project in the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in San Felices de los Gallegos.
The technicians of the Santa Maria la Real Foundation have already carried out the renovation work on the electrical and lighting installation, giving the church not only a modern, secure and efficient system but also one that is more appropriate for the artistic characteristics of the Romanesque monument. The points of light all share the same aesthetic line and finish. At the same time, the network of cables is hidden to reduce its aesthetic impact on the church, its reforms and its additions.
In addition to improving the electrical connection, the project pursues another fundamental objective: to guarantee the preventive conservation of the church and its movable goods. To achieve this, the technicians have set into motion a system called MHS (Heritage Monitoring System) developed by the Santa Maria la Real Foundation. Its purpose is to prevent deterioration and possible alterations in the heritage buildings. Small sensors are used which are capable of controlling environmental parameters such as temperature and moisture and send the data periodically to the control centre. From the control centre, the data is evaluated to see if it is necessary to intervene in order to prevent possible damage or alterations. For example, one of the actions that the project in San Felices is considering is to monitor the space where a collection of historical chasubles (belonging to the parish) are housed to facilitate the protection of the pieces. Therefore, the Plan counts on the collaboration from technicians from the Center of Conservation and Restoration of movable goods from the Autonomous Government of Castile and Leon.
