Santos Juanes Church

Plaza del Mercado, s/n; 46001 - Valencia

vista de los bancos en el interior de la iglesia de los santos juanes

TOURISTIC AREA: Historical center

National Historic-Artistic Monument

Church of Santos Juanes: Gothic base and Baroque reconstruction next to the Central Market and the Silk Exchange

This church is another example of an ancient mosque atop which, in 1240, a Catholic church was built outside the city walls. Originally a Gothic construction, due to the reconstructions after fires throughout its history, it's had its current Baroque features since the 17th century. Witness to its Gothic past are the unique nave, buttresses and the large covered rose window, known as "the O of St. John", and that, contrary to what one might think, always remained covered. Of note on the outside is the back entrance, a grandiose design that sets up a masterful dialogue with the Central Market and the Silk Exchange. Of particular note are the altarpiece of the Virgen del Rosario and the curious vane, in the shape of an eagle, which tops the triangular bell tower with a clock. It is known as "St. John's sparrow", and legend has it that parents who lived in poverty made their children look up there, taking the chance to abandon them, hoping that they would be taken in by one of the workshops housed in the semi-basements at the foot of the church.

Inside is a set of thirteen plaster statues representing Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel, popularly nicknamed "els blancs" (the white ones), and the preserved remains of the frescoes painted by Antonio Palomino, a common element in the pictorial imagery of the city.

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