Arahal – Church of Our Lady of Victory

Church of Our Lady of Victory – Arahal

The Church of Our Lady of Victory is located in the monumental village of Arahal, in Victoria St., just few minutes from other important religious monuments as the San Roque Church, the Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Santo Cristo de la Misericordia Church.

Built on the site of a former hermitage dedicated to St. Sebastian, this stone, mansonry and adobe building is rectangular in shape and divided into three naves, separated by round arches that are suported by rectangualr pillars. The central nave possesses a magnifificent roof in the Mudejar style.

Inside there are also five canvases with scenes from the life of St. Francis of Paola.

The main altarpiece is bas-relief in the baroque style, divided into three vertical sections by thin estipite columns. In the central section is an image of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the candelero (candlestick) style – wich means that the image is only carved from the waist up and supported on props, covered by her dress.

In the presbytery there are two large baroque paintings dedicated to the martyrs St. John and St. Sebastian.

It belonged to the convent of Las Mínimas, conserving the church and part of the cloister. Founded by the Count of Ureña in 1546, a primitive church was built that would be transformed during the 17th century and its tower was raised in the 18th century. In 1936 the building was set on fire although it did not suffer major damage. The church, made up of three naves with four sections and a polygonal chancel, has rectangular pillars supported by semicircular arches. The roofs of the central nave, in trough, and the presbytery, octagonal, have been recently restored. The side naves are covered with a flat ceiling, except for the Sagrario Chapel, which retains a dome.

Church of Our Lady of Victory Doorway

The doorway, at the foot, is formed by a semicircular arch flanked by pilasters, an attic and a pediment with the sculpture of San Francisco de Paula in a niche. Also at the foot is the tower, made of exposed brick and tiles, with three bodies and a spire. Read more…