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Elias zamora (CC-BY-SA-4.0), Church of San Juan Bautista, San Juan Chamula by ali eminov

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Zamora - Spain by Carlos Afonso Coutinho

Church of San Juan Bautista
Zamora
12th century

According to the oldest-found evidence, the temple dates from the mid-12th century. The construction continued during the 13th century and went on even until the 14th century though. Its popular name derives from its close location to the new gate of the ancient walls, which are now under the main square.

This temple stands out because on the southern doorway there is a wagon-wheel rose window which has become a characteristic symbol of the Romanesque of Zamora. This is the main doorway, and it is in perfect condition.

The tower is located on the main apse due to it complemented the wall that was beside it. What was the Main Chapel is now the current tower, which replaces the original one. The tower is solid and much lowed, and it is topped by the figure of Peromato, which is used as weather vane.

During the Gothic, the western doorway and a large window were added. Was in 1531 when Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón connected the inner part by two arches that go from the head part to the foot, but in 1559 the tower, which had been built in 1057, collapsed inwards destroying the arch and the apse of the Gospel, as well as the main chapel. In 1564, Diego Camarón gave it the current shape. He also included the collar roof “alfarje” (a kind of horizontal wooden ceiling). Later, in 1642, on the top of the tower was erected the weather vane-armour called Peronato, which nowadays is a reproduction of the original one, which houses the Museum of Zamora. On the tower was also the council clock from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.

Previously the floor plan had three naves and three square apses, but presently, after the reform it suffered during the 16th century, have only been preserved a nave with Mudejar wooden roof and three renovated chapels. Their capitals are decorated with plants and balls motifs.

The southern doorway is flanked by two attached slender columns and three semicircular archivolts with elegant ornament. The two outer, are decorated with open flowers and the interior one, has geometric shapes mixed with floral motifs, whose central buds are all different. These archivolts rest on the columns, some on which have twisted shafts, and are decorated with plant motifs.

At the top of the church there is a magnificent wagon-wheel-rose window, where the Maltese cross was sculpted. From its center, come up eight small columns as spokes, joined by simple arches. Between each of them there is a petal.

In the northern doorway, which was walled in, can be seen an opening with simple archivolts which is crowned by other rose window as a six petals flower, decorated with floral studs and above it can be seen the Lamb, the symbol of St. John the Baptist.

Inside, main altar can be highlighted. It dates from the 16th century and is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. There, are also housed two of the images of the famous Zamora Holy Week: “Jesús Nazareno” (Jesus of Nazareth) and the “Virgen de la Soledad” (Virgin of Solitude).

The doorways of this church deserved the title of National Historic Monuments since 1961.

* by Dit is Suzanne

Arucas | Арукас, 20-06-2024.

Arucas on Wikipedia (English)
Church of San Juan Bautista (Arucas) on Wikipedia (English)

My Gran Canaria, June 2024 set in my European Union collection.

Iglesia Matriz de San Juan Bautista | Church of San Juan Bautista by Dit is Suzanne

Arucas | Арукас, 20-06-2024.

Arucas on Wikipedia (English)
Church of San Juan Bautista (Arucas) on Wikipedia (English)

My Gran Canaria, June 2024 set in my European Union collection.

Cathedral Iglesia de San Juan de Bautista by fesign

The Gothic Cathedral of San Juan Bautista in the centre of Arucas, Gran Canraia, Canary Islands.

Monochrome in Gran Canaria by Janet Marshall LRPS

Another church .. another symmetry shot. Can't seem to get away from them, it's a compulsion.
This was taken a few years ago in Arucas, a small town on the island of Gran Canaria. Most people go to the Canaries for sun, sand and sea but I've never been a huge fan of throwing myself into cold salty water. We stayed in the north of the island, in the mountains - wonderful scenery and challenging bendy roads. Arucas was a nice little town and full of life in the evenings, with a good deli that served wine and beer to go with the nibbles. It was always going to be a fair bet that I'd convert this shot to black and white - those were the only colours inside the church - very unusual for a Spanish church, which is usually awash with colour.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_San_Juan_Bautista_(Arucas)