A Tale of Two Saints

Església de Sant Joan del Mercat is also known as the Parroquía de los Santos Juanes or the Church of the Saints John, so you basically get two saints for the price of one. And since it’s located right next to the Mercado Central, it makes sense that you get a great deal on saints. We also got a good deal on the visit here since this is the second location that was part of the promotion when we saw Església de Sant Nicolau de Bari i Sant Pere Martirià, which, come to think of it, also had two patron saints. I guess it’s a thing here to double up.

This church has a pretty long history, having been built originally as a hermitage on the site of an old mosque in 1240, but has gone many reconstructions over the ages, mainly due to being susceptible to fires. Its baroque style dates back to the end of the XVII and early XVIII centuries, though it once again suffered a lot of damage during the Spanish Civil War.

It is still being restored so the beautiful frescoed ceiling was partially covered. The cupola over the altar is also missing its artwork though the orange colour of it makes a statement of sorts anyway. There is much glitter in this church, so typical of the baroque period, and the whole feel of the place can be a little overwhelming. It is quite beautiful, however, and I wonder what the final finished ceiling will look like when it is done. Perhaps València will have two churches claiming to be their city’s Sistine Chapels.

The audio tour was quite fun, too. The narrator told the story of the church as if he were the church building itself, a presentation that certainly made its history much more approachable and memorable.