St. Catherine's Church, Valencia, Spain

St. Catherine's Church (Iglesia de Santa Catalina) is a Gothic-style Catholic church located in the city of Valencia, Spain at the southern end of Plaza de la Reina.

St. Catherine's Church was built in the early 13th century at the site of a prior mosque. Most of the interior was rebuilt after a fire in 1548 acquiring the Baroque style. It has a 16th-century portal of classicist style. The imposing bell tower, with a hexagonal base and five levels, once the site of a minaret, was rebuilt in a Baroque fashion between 1688 and 1705 using the designs of Juan Bautista Viñes. Today still presents the 13th-century Gothic exterior. The church was restored in 1785.

The bells were melted in London in 1729 and later, in 1914, the clock was added. During the restoration carried out in 2012, when they went to repair the clock they realized that the machinery was relatively modern and had no value, so it was decided to remove it and adding again the old bell that had been removed in 1902.

In 1936, the church's interior was assaulted and burned by Republican militiamen. In the 1950s, what managed to be saved was restored, and some Neoclassical additions that covered the Gothic façade were removed.

References:

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Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

LE MED (10 months ago)
Good to see

Pong Lenis (2 years ago)
Beautiful place to have a walk, very lovely church, lots of beautiful artwork and architecture. They have lots of shops and a delicious restaurants close by. Several museums are located in and around this area. Lots to do and see in this area. I definitely recommend stop by if you’re in Valencia.

Julia xtina (julia.xtina) (2 years ago)
I’ve walked past this church several times without noticing it until I saw the tall tower from the side. The door happened to be open and the entrance fee was free. I recommend visiting if you’re passing by as it’s right in front of the Horchateria Santa Catalina plus the inside is stunning. It has a very dark church feeling which is quite something.

Lidule (3 years ago)
Beautiful church with huge interior, nicely lighted by natural light that gets inside through lovely stained glass windows. The building is kind of lost between other buildings, don't miss it. The entrance is for free.

agules ' (3 years ago)
A very beautiful church worth visiting if you come to Valencia. If you came as a tourist, you should definitely pass by this place in the old city. You can go up the tower and watch the view for 2 Euros. You can watch a similar view from the tower in the Cathedral. The choice is yours.

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