Santa María del Naranco is an ancient palace located on the southern slope of Mount Naranco. It was not originally designed as a church, but as the Aula Regia of the palace complex that King Ramiro I ordered to be built on the outskirts of the capital of the kingdom of Asturias, and which was completed in the year 842. Its artistic style is known as Asturian or "Ramirense" art, within the pre-Romanesque style.

The architectural complex to which this building belonged also included the nearby church of San Miguel de Lillo, erected only a hundred metres away. However, due to the collapse of the chevet and part of the naves of San Miguel, the Aula Regia was transformed into a church, probably during the 12th century, as the Silense chronicle of 1150 already records it as the church of Santa María.1 The building is located on the southern slope of Monte Naranco where there was a forest where game was plentiful. The absence of an apse to contain the king's throne suggests that the building must have had the character of a country palace or royal residence dedicated to leisure.

It has a rectangular floor plan measuring 21 m long by 6 m wide, and is divided into two storeys, with a total height of about 9 m, resulting in a rather elongated floor plan. There are two projections on its larger sides, of which the one on the north side corresponds to a two-flight staircase that leads to the upper floor.