PERIOD 16th Century

DESCRIPTION

This church is the first building on the right at the entrance of calle Companîa.

In 1572, after carrying out missions in Malaga, the Jesuits decided to settle here definitively and purchased a house next the San Sebastian Sanctuary, where they practised their ministry. Given that the Sanctuary was not large enough to hold public religious services, they decided to build a new church.

Work began in 1598 and the church was inaugurated on 28th September 1630, although the central altarpiece with the tabernacle date back to 1633 and the painting on the ring and half-orange of the cupola was done between 1639 and 1643. The decorative works continued until 1644 and even later for those on the altars and chapels, which were to house the most significant saints of the Order.

________________________________________________________________________

The semi-spherical vault, which rests on a wide cornice, is structured in three rings, which in turn are joined together by eight trapezoidal geometrically organised paraments that go from the cornice up to the lantern.

The first ring, larger than the other two, is the most impressive and varied in its subject matter: the windows are decorated with simulated lunettes and flat and rope mouldings, alternating with eight painting of sainted Martyrs (Saint Esteban, Saint Nicolas of Bari, Saint Ignacio of Antioquia, Saint Jorge, Saint Hermenegildo, Saint Dionisio and Saint Lorenzo).

The other two rings are similarly decorated: the intermediate ring has figures of Saint Ines, Saint Margarita, Saint Agueda, Saint Dorotea, Saint Barbara, Saint Ursula, Saint Lucia, Saint Cecilia and Saint Catalina of Alexandria. The last ring, with nine trapezoidal spans, contains small angles with floral crowns and martyr's palms. An ample dome with large windows tops the immense domed structure of the church.

Logically, the main figures of the Order had to be present and therefore three of the four original lateral chapels were dedicated to the Order's most representative saints: Saint Ignacio de Loyola, Saint Francisco Javier and Saint Francisco de Borja, whilst the fourth was reserved for the Martyrs of Japan.

The present chapels in the Iglesia Santo Cristo de la Salud are:

The presbytery is occupied by an altarpiece of Mannerist style in polychrome wood gilded wood, created in 1633 by Brother Francisco Dîaz de Rivero. It was modified in 1787 by Aldehuela, and once again in the 19th century.

In the centre section of the altarpiece there are three niches, the centre holding the image of Christ denominated "Santo Cristo de la Salud", a Mannerist figure sculpted by Josê Micael y Alfaro in 1633, which is flanked by two 18th century images, one of Saint Francisco Javier and the other of Saint Estanislao of Kotska.

In the attic a huge painting, dating from the middle of the 17th century, represents a scene from the Calvary. The chapel dedicated to Our Lady Virgen de Araceli (formerly Chapel of Saint Francisco of Borja), is situated to the left of the central altar, presided over by an image of the Virgin from which the chapel takes its name, of recent creation and with more devotional value than artistic.

The Chapel of the processional brotherhood Cofradîa de los Estudiantes (formerly the Martyrs of Japan Chapel) has a simple 18th century altarpiece and the images of the aforementioned brotherhood: Our Lady Virgen de Gracia y Esperanza and the figure of Christ, Cristo Coronado de Espinas.

In the Chapel of Saint Francis of Asis (formerly the Chapel of Saint Ignacio of Loyola) the altar of the Third Order of Saint Francisco and an image of the saint occupy the central section of the 18th century altarpiece. The altarpiece at the altar dedicated to Our Lady Virgen del Rosario is a Neo-Baroque piece that dates back to the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th. In the Chapel of Our Lady Virgen de la Esclavitud Dolorosa (formerly devoted to Saint Francisco Javier), there is an altarpiece with an image of this Virgin.

Finally, at the back wall of the church there is a chapel dedicated to Christ Crucified and a small figure of Our Lady Virgen Dolorosa, both sculptures from the 17th century Seville school.

On the outside, the most outstanding feature is the size of the roof, set on an octagonal base, which supports an eight-sided roof crowned by a small cupola.

The faèade, squeezed within the narrow street, has an interesting portal where the plaques and projections follow the severe lines of classic Tuscan order. This church is a basic exponent of Spanish Mannerism, and its iconographic-decorative ensemble, most of which has not reached our days in good condition, constitutes an outstanding sample of the incipient Malaga Baroque style of architecture.

HOW TO FIND IT

Address: CL COMPAÑIA 4,  29008  Málaga
Telephones:     Centralita: 952213456