Located in the Upper District of the Church of that parish, it is accessed by the AS-110, Candás-Tabaza, and at the KP 4,400 the signposted diversion to the Upper Church is taken and, after travelling 800 m, the direction is taken as the Church is situated 200 m from the latter. The access roads are of asphalt in good condition.
The Romanese-style construction aspect is good after the renovation undertaken and completed on 24-06-99, following an agreement between the Regional Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Carreño.
Santa María de Piedeloro is Carreño’s most important Roman temple, and although it is not fully preserved due to renovation, rebuilding and modifications, it is declared a site of cultural interest.
Of this church, has it been said that, among all the medieval Asturian churches, it is the one that offers the most and best temples of a decoration that is no longer only symbolic, but clearly esoteric or magical and well considered. Two cover pages and the arc of the triumph remain authentic elements. This Romanese-style church dates back to the 13th century and consists of a house, the most important elements of which are the headquarter and the western and southern cover pages. Towards the XIII-XIV centuries, the current Capilla Mayor (Protogotic style) was lifted, replacing the original Roman ábside.
At the end of the 16th century, the Capilla de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves was erected by private patronage, alongside the southern wall of the Capilla Mayor.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, a baroque era, many renovation works were undertaken: brick veins were built in the house (for which pilastras had to be raised inside in order to hold the slippery arches), and a gantry, scutching and slaughter were also built, where the Capilla de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves was previously built.
In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the Church was burned and its movable property destroyed, including four baroque blocks: The cup of Capilla Mayor (1716), the cup of Santísimo Cristo (1709), the cup of San Blas (1726) and the cup of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, of the same name. In 1939, Luis Menéndez Pidal drew up the project for the reconstruction of the Church, which was launched in the 1940s.
However, the work on it did not remain there, in 1980 the canopy was replaced, in 1985 the canopy was restored, as was the case in 1998, including archaeological work. If we analyse the building and its decoration in more detail, we can say that it consists of a single rectangular house with a drawstring and a large chest; nave and Capilla Mayor are separated by a triumph arc, half a point.
The vessel is covered with a lunch barrel and the Capilla Mayor with a ribbed cross-hut. At the church are the slaughter (south side), the abildo (west side), the gantry (south side) and the cemetery (north side).
The walls are of masonry, and external stiffeners attached to the building are used, with an aesthetic function (a characteristic that refers to the Asturian pre-Roman Art). The pavement is of limestone, covered with wood in some parts of the house.
The western cover has a hinged arrangement, consisting of three half-point arquivolts, supported by three pairs of columns. This cover is provided by a roofing roof or wingboard, supported by Chancellors. The decoration on this cover is very rich: geometric motifs, symbolic scenes, etc. The southern cover is positioned obscuriously, with two slightly pointed arquivolts. Both cover pages do not have a typical character, which is a common feature of Asturian Roman temples.
The Arco de triunfo, which gives way to Capilla Mayor, is a slightly pointed arc with three arquivoltas supported on columns, the capitals of which are decorated with plant-based motifs.
Festivities in the parish include the San Blas festivities held on 3 February with religious events and the sacramental festivities held on the third Sunday of Agosto, where, in addition to religious events and rhomery, a major livestock exhibition competition is held.