San Pedro Chuch, Olite, Spain

Construction of the San Pedro church began in the 12th century but continued over the next centuries, creating a hybrid of structures. It is located adjacent to the castle-like Royal Palace of Olite. The 52-meter-high Gothic bell-tower is capped by a pointed roof, and is known as Torre Aguja or 'Needle Tower'. The murals in the bell-tower were moved to the Museo de Navarre.

The main portal is highly decorated including with scenes of St George and the Dragon and a centaur fighting a harpy. The tympanum is a later addition, depicting Saints Peter, Andrew and James. The lintel depicts scenes of the life of Saint Peter. The facade has a Gothic rose window.

North of the church is a cloister with decorated Gothic columns. Some of the capitals depict scenes from Genesis.

The main retablo is dedicated to Saint Peter, and was completed in Baroque style. The canvases of Saint Fermín and Saint Francis Xavier are by Vicente Berdusán. The Chapel of the Virgen del Campanal was frescoed in the 13th century. These works are now preserved in the Museum of Navarre.

Inside the church is the tomb monument of the notary Enequo Pinel, built in 1432. A polychrome alabaster relief depicts the Trinity with three persons. The decorations were sculpted by Jean Lome de Tournay, sculptor for the court of Charles III of Navarre.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Lucas San Sebastián (11 months ago)
Beautiful church that is a few meters from the royal palace. Unfortunately during my visit it was closed but it has gothic architecture that is worth visiting.

emajar (12 months ago)
It has stood the test of time. Looking from the walls you can see different ages of the materials used and repairs over the centuries. Interesting village with narrow corridors like Venice but no water. Nice quiet village

Bob Daniels (2 years ago)
Very unusual tower!

Alain (3 years ago)
This Church is a mixture of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles. It preserves a Romanesque cloister from the mid-13th century, a Gothic carving of Santiago, a beautiful main altarpiece that is a baroque work dedicated to Saint Peter and a Gothic tomb. The Gothic tower has an arrow known as the “Torre Aguja”, and is 52 meters high, which serves as a platform for the octagonal spire, from the 14th century. Schedule: Masses: Sundays and holidays, at 10:00 and 12:30.

Olga Cherkashina (4 years ago)
Appreciated by the photographs. But so far far away. I don't dare because of the pandemic. They can slow down somewhere and turn back. But I plan to take a look.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

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Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.

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