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Church of Saint John the Baptist

Diputación de Málaga
Iglesia de San Juan. Málaga 8

Church of Saint John the Baptist

C/ San Juan nº 3
Zip Code 29005
Monuments and Art > Hermitage and Chapel

PERIOD 15TH - 18TH century

DESCRIPTION

This was one of the four churches founded by the Catholic Monarchs after their conquest of the city in 1487. In its original design it had a central nave and a lateral nave, in Gothic style combined with Mudejar style architecture and pointed arches on pillars.

The tower was finished in 1543. Later, around the middle of the 16th century (1554), the central nave was enlarged and the pointed arches were changed for round arches.

In 1620, another lateral nave was built and the guidelines laid down for the future construction of a main chapel. Following the 1680 earthquake a tower portico was built, which accesses the right-hand lateral nave.

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The portico is rectangular with an elliptic vaulted ceiling and a niche containing a figure of Saint John the Baptist. The tower comprises three sections, with a pediment that dates back to 1770 on the middle section. In 1783 a framed spire, cupola and ball were added.

The interior of the church has also been reformed on several occasions, such as the elevation reforms carried out in 1760. It is also known that there was a project to extend the apse but that this was never carried out.

The current building is constituted by a main chapel from the beginning of the 19th century, with a rectangular floor plan and a domical cupola. It has a Neo-Baroque altarpiece by Miguel Garcîa Navas. The christening font, situated near this altarpiece, is particularly interesting due to the brilliant colouring of its red marble.

The platform has a concave balcony below which there are blind arches, one of them being the original entrance in which, furthermore, the image called the Cristo de Azotes y Columna (Christ of the Lashes and Column) (17th c.) was kept, until it was once again opened in 1988 to make it possible to bring out through this door the processional floats.

The side naves were decorated in 1740 and have chapels dating back to different periods, in between which are Neo-Baroque altars. In the left-hand nave there are the following chapels (Capillas):

Capilla del Santîsimo Cristo de la Exaltación and Nuestra Señora del Mayor Dolor, rebuilt following a fire in 1980.

Capilla de las Ánimas, which dates back to the second half of the 18th century, though the figure of Christ is a modern sculpture.

Capilla de la Virgen de Lourdes, particularly interesting because of the reproduction of the grotto. 

Capilla del Cristo de Azotes y Columna (17th century).

In the right-hand nave, beginning at the entrance, there are the chapels:

Capilla del Cristo de Ánimas y Ciegos, which is one of the oldest chapels in the city, and was originally in the church of the San Luis del Real convent. It was transferred here in 1835 and was restored in 1982.

Capilla de la Archicofradîa Sacramental de la Virgen de los Dolores, from the 18th century.

Capilla del Sacramental, presided over by the image of the Sacred Christ of Redemption (20th century).


HOW TO FIND IT

Address: CL SAN JUAN 3,  29005  Málaga
Telephones:     Centralita: 952211283
Webpage: http://www.diocesismalaga.es

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