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4/5 (based on Google user reviews)
User Reviews
Maria Ramos Sansinena (14 months ago)
I couldn't see the inside, but the outside is worth the visit.
I couldn't see the inside, but the outside is worth the visit.
The Nuestra Señora de Gracia Parish Church is located at the highest point of the town of Palomas in Badajoz. Built in the sixteenth century style, it is constructed in the Gothic-Mudéjar style and falls under the Order of Santiago.
Its large tower is the most distinct feature of the monument and one of the most beautiful examples of tower facades in Lower Extremadura. Its geometric decorations are done with moulded brick. Along with the Granja de Torrehermosa and the surrounding Hornachos, Alange and Puebla de la Reina and others, the church is the most outstanding example of the achievements of the Mudéjar style in Lower Extremadura.
The tower was built before 1550. Its body is square and takes up almost the entire nave. The tower is very high and consists of three sections. The two inferior sections are integrated into the temple, the lower section forms the narthex of the church and the other section forms the choir-gallery.
Some interesting artistic elements still survive on the inside of the building. These include the altarpiece and several side altars dedicated to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Nazarene, the Immaculate Conception, Dolorosa or Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The church is located free in the center of a rectangular plaza with its shaft rotated relative to the aforementioned Plaza. A raised platform is constructed around the building along the south facade because of the slope.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.