'The finest piece of Norman decoration in the county' the Sidilia of St Mary de Castro church.
St Mary de Castro church was described by Nicolas Pevsner as 'the delight and despair of the antiquary'. The church has received many alterations and is a pattern-book of architectural styles from almost one thousand years.
It is thought that an earlier structure may have been either founded or renovated by Æthelfleda, Lady of the Mercians, after freeing Leicester from Viking rule. It is possible a religious house has been in existence on the site from before 918. Nonetheless, any structure was pulled down in 1067 when the Normans took control of the town.
The earliest parts of the building date to the period of Norman rule and in south wall of the chancel area, are what Pevsner describes as 'the finest piece of Norman decoration in the county' the Sidilia.
The sidilia are three stone seats decorated in the unmistakable Norman chevron or zigzag pattern. They are used by a priest and his assistants when offering mass. The seats are higher than what is typical, the floor having been lowered in the past. Considering the burial practices of the Medieval period, it is probable that there existed a crypt that has subsequently been filled up or sealed.