Our Lady of Consolation Church

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Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Consolación

This church was part of the former convent of the Franciscan Third Order. A large building that was used as barracks after the confiscation by Mendizábal, and later, in 1952, a school run by Piarist fathers.

That former covent was later expanded with the addition of the adjacent palace that belonged to the powerful Ponce de León family, Dukes of Arcos and Osuna. The building has undergone various modifications owing to the different uses it has had over the years. Nonetheless, the church itself has continued to function as such. It is now a parish church.

The 16th-century church was renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries in baroque-style. It consists of three naves separated by pillars and barrel vaults. The main chapel is covered by a dome on pendentives. The church was initially planned with one more section, as the semi-concealed columns in the west end of the church show.

In the presbytery stands the high altarpiece decorated with Solomonic made by Pedro García de Acuña. It was completed in 1702. It was initially made for the El Calvario Convent. The central niche is flanked by estipites, which are repeated in the gable. The altarpiece holds an image of Our Lady of Consolation, the town’s patron saint, who is taken in procession on 8 September.

Opening times

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat (except Thursdays): 19:00 - 21:00 (Mass 20:00)
Sundays: 11:30 - 13:30 (Mass 12:00) and 19:00 - 21:00 (Mass 20:00)

Labels

Pedro García de Acuña