The Archiprestal Church of Our Lady of the Angels is Chelva’s most iconic monument and is considered one of the best works of Valencian Baroque. This cathedral-sized church was begun in 1626 and its construction lasted eighty years.
The altarpiece façade, in Mannerist style, is a monumental work of masonry that alternates between the four classical orders (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite).
Juan Bautista Pérez Castiel is credited with the exuberant interior baroque decoration, the large semi-spherical dome and the bell tower, considered the first of the Valencian Baroque. Almost 60 meters high, this tower culminates with an original clock, owned by the municipality, which indicates the hours, days of the week and the month.
References: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.