Alcalá de los Gazules – San Francisco Church

Alcalá de los Gazules – San Francisco Church

The San Francisco Church is located in the Plaza Alameda de la Cruz (square), in the town of Alcalá de los Gazules, province of Cádiz.

Its construction dates from the seventeenth century, forming part of the Convent of the Minor Friars (Convento de los Frailes Mínimos) established in Alcalá de los Gazules.

It has a pontifical Latin cross plan with a single nave and a vault with very pointed lunettes, which allow natural lighting. The transept is finished off with a semi-orange dome decorated with a large frescoed rose window, the center of which is occupied by the inscription of the Minims: CHARITAS.

The main altar is made of Flanders pine, in some sections with imitation stone. It is presided over by the Virgen de la Victoria, a large carving, more than two meters, and is equipped with a rotating mechanism that allows the Virgin to return, leaving a large sun visible. The characteristics of the virgin seem to indicate that she is prior to the construction of the altar. On the altar of the Sagrario is the image of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno.

It is the work of José Montes de Oca. The image is dated to the end of the 17th century. It is of great beauty and quality and goes out in procession every Holy Thursday.

Next to the Church is the cloister, surrounded by arcaded corridors with three semicircular arches on each side of the patio. A patio that has the attraction of its simplicity and sobriety and that today is dedicated to multiple cultural/religious activities, reforming the viewpoint and connecting the park with the Salá Fountain through the pedestrian path that existed in its day.

Alcalá de los Gazules Town Hall