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Church of the Sainted Martyrs

Diputación de Málaga
Iglesia de los Mártires. Málaga

Church of the Sainted Martyrs

Plaza de los Mártires nº 1
Zip Code 29008
Monuments and Art > Hermitage and Chapel

PERIOD 15th - 18th century

DESCRIPTION

This church is situated in the square called Plaza de los Mártires, close to the Cristo de la Salud church and the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del Paîs (The Friends of the Country Economic Society).

It was founded following the Re-conquest, probably in 1491, although it was not actually built until 1505, by Diego de Deza. It owes its name (Church of the Sainted Martyrs) to the Catholic Monarchs? interest in recovering the cult for the local martyrs, Saint Paula and Saint Ciriaco.

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The church is of Gothic-Mudejar style with pointed arches. The main chapel and the vestry were built in 1591, with the font, by Diego Portillo, being added later, in 1545, and the tower, in 1548, designed by Bartolomê Pêrez, although the latter was destroyed in an earthquake in 1567 and despite being re-built, by 1680 it was once again in ruins.

In the 18th century the whole church was re-built, including the tower, and it is the building that still stands today, although it conserved the central buttress and its surrounding staircase. In 1747 the columns were reinforced with red jasper pedestals and from 1760 the apse was widened with a new presbytery and transept in which its branches and the main chapel adopt an apsidal layout. Its decoration makes it one of the most representative exponents of Rococo style architecture in Malaga. Despite the accidents: destruction of the Capilla del Sagrario (Chapel of the Tabernacle) by a cannonball (1854), an earthquake (1884), and pillaging (1936), its later restoration habilitated it for use and it was re-inaugurated in 1945.

The floor plan is distributed in thee naves, plus another two chapels between the buttresses, a portico in the back wall and a trefoil presbytery. The central nave, with half-barrel vaulted ceilings and transverse ribs, has a decorated keystone. The decoration lunettes surround the paintings of saints and martyrs. The choir stalls are placed on a cross vaulted support with mixed continuous mouldings, and below the fonts of Holy Water, which, together with those located in front of nave to the left of the central altar, were probably installed between 1724-47 during reforms.

The lateral naves have cross-vaulted ceilings with decorations and mouldings. The Rococo decoration is more abundant at the apse end, where the cupola of the transept can also be seen, its intrados decorated with medallions depicting saints, just as the pendentives with medallions of the Evangelists, (supported by allegoric relief engravings of the Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance). The arms of the transept have a cul-de-four vaulted ceiling with Rococo medallions. Under the Corinthian pilasters that separate the medallions are four beautiful stucco relief carvings that date back to the end of the 18th century and which represent scenes from the capture, trial and martyrdom of Saint Paula and Saint Ciriaco.

The main chapel, presided over by they Holy Trinity, is flanked by medallions depicting the Archangels and which make up an angelical ensemble with those that are located on the edges of the arms of the transept. The division in the altarpiece between the entablement gives way to the inner sanctum chapel, of circular design with a semi-spherical, ribbed arch vaulted ceiling.

The doors located at either side of the main altar have a certain classical Baroque style (high concave crests), with a palm and crown (symbols of the martyrdom) on the pillars. The door to the right gives way to the vestry, with an entablement singular for its sinuosity, its vaulted ceiling with windowed lunettes, and, finally, its subtle decoration.

The exterior of the church is constructed in masonry and brickwork, with plinth and chains of ashlars on the tower. The portico of the main faèade has a triple line of arches on stone Tuscan columns, crowned by a modern tiled mural that depicts the martyrs and a coat of arms.

The brick portal conserves its 16th century design. The wooded door was installed at the end of the 18th century and the chancel, which dates back to 1833, came from Santo Domingo Covent in Ronda. The side portal was built in white sandstone, with a round arch between Tuscan pilasters, crowned by a crest that contains an allegory of the Catholic Faith and is the point of origin of a curved divided pediment over more classic Rococo and Baroque decoration. The chapels (capillas) that open from the lateral naves are of different periods. On the left, as you enter, these are: Capilla de la Cofradîa de la Pasión, which houses the image of Cristo Nazareno (clothed imagen.t.) and an 18th century image of The Virgin; Capilla de Santa Gema; Capilla del Santo Sepulcro y Nuestra Señora de la Soledad; Capilla de la Milagrosa, which was founded in 1530, refurbished in the 18th century and contains an image of Saint Carlos Borromeo of that same century.

The inner sanctum of the Neo-Baroque main altarpiece by Pêrez Hidgalgo, houses the images of the Martyrs Saint Paula and Saint Ciriaco, sculpted by Jerónimo Gñomes de Hermosilla in the 17th century. The altarpieces of the transept apses contain the images of Our Lady Inmaculada (18th century) and Our Lady Virgen de las Angustias (20th century). Situated in the right-hand nave, viewed from the transept end, are the following chapels: Capilla del Niño del Remedio, which contains some stucco medallions that depict Saint John the Baptist and Saint Geronimo: Capilla de la Oración del Huerto, where there are images of Christ, the Angel, the Conception, a painting of Saint Clara, and a crystal urn with an 18th century sculpture of Our Lady Virgen de las Lágrimas; Capilla de la Virgen de Gracia, which contains a photograph of the same enclosed in a Neo-Baroque cornucopia, as well as paintings of the Virgin and Child, and Our Lady Virgen del Rosario, and finally, Capilla de Jesús de la Columna, with 20th century images of Christ (Cristo de los Gitanos) and Our Lady (Virgen de la O).


PAINTINGS:

Saint Peter (17th century, Malaga School)
The Martyrdom of a Saint (18th century, Spanish)
Saint Joseph with Christ Child (18th century, Spanish)
Sacred Burial (18th century, Andalusian, anonymous)
The Archangel Michael (18th century, Andalusian, anonymous)
The Adoration of the Three Kings (18th century, Andalusian, anonymous)
Saint Felix of Cantalicio (18th century, Andalusian, anonymous)


SILVERWARE

Silver pyx with the Martyr Saints in relief (17th century).
Gilded silver ostentorium (18th century).
Gilded silver chalice with relief engravings of the Passion.
Gilded and white silver 18th century pieces.


HOW TO FIND IT

Address: PL MARTIRES 1,  29008  Málaga
Telephones:     Centralita: 952212724
Webpage: : http://www.santosmartires.es

 

How to get there

Plaza de los Mártires nº 1
Zip Code 29008

More information

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Discover more about the province of Malaga