Del Carmen Parish Church

The church was once a shrine dedicated to San José, rebuilt in the eighteenth century by Remigio del Mármol,  in a style which marks a movement away from baroque, towards neoclassical. It has a single nave, with an arched roof in three sections, surmounted by a segmented dome resting on corner supports with inset windows. Its décor highlights the combination of neoclassical and baroque elements.

The altarpiece is by Juan de Dios Santaella: the base is mounted on a plinth, and the main body is in a single piece, with columns framing the chapel of the Virgen del Carmen – a work by Granadan craftsmen. It is flanked by San Joaquín and Santa Ana, the parents of Mary,  and above is the figure of San José.  The chapel itself, a typically neoclassical design, is by Remigio del Mármol.

The sacristy, which today is joined to the main body of the church, in the form of a chapel, was completed before the church itself. It is of baroque design and rectangular in shape,  with a segmented roof leading up to a skylight – all supported by typical Corinthian columns.

The doorway by Remigio del Mármol is completely neoclassical: it is formed in two levels, the lower with Doric columns, and the upper with Corinthian columns framing a bas-relief of the Virgen del Carmen. Above this, is a tower crowned by a cupola with the statue of the prophet Elijah,  surrounded by four figures from the Old Testament.

The church has been declared a national monument.