Iglesia de San Juan de la Cruz (Church of St. John of the Cross), Valencia
Dedicated to Saint John of the Cross, this church stands on ground that once held a mosque and was among the first in Valencia to be consecrated following the Christian Reconquest. The current building took shape in the early 1600s, a time of major stylistic change that gradually moved it toward the visual language of the Baroque and, later, the ornamental richness of the Rococo.
From the outside, the fa莽ade remains relatively understated鈥攖hough not without detail. Solomonic columns and finely carved sculptures give it character, but the real spectacle unfolds inside. The interior is awash in Rococo stucco work from the late 18th century鈥攁n exuberant display of angels, flowing drapery, and swirling foliage that climbs the walls and wraps around the space, clearly drawing from Italian models but rendered with a distinctly local energy.
The church contains two side chapels, one of which was once maintained by Valencia鈥檚 Fisherman鈥檚 Guild. It's a small space, but rich in paintings and religious art鈥攅nough to captivate even those who aren鈥檛 usually drawn to churches or their architecture.
After sitting closed for over 50 years, the church reopened in 2009 following a major restoration project that brought the Rococo decoration back to life. The reopening coincided with 鈥淭he Glory of the Baroque鈥�, an exhibition that celebrated Baroque artistry across a number of historic churches in the city. Today, it's not just a place of worship, but a beautifully preserved piece of Valencia鈥檚 artistic heritage.
From the outside, the fa莽ade remains relatively understated鈥攖hough not without detail. Solomonic columns and finely carved sculptures give it character, but the real spectacle unfolds inside. The interior is awash in Rococo stucco work from the late 18th century鈥攁n exuberant display of angels, flowing drapery, and swirling foliage that climbs the walls and wraps around the space, clearly drawing from Italian models but rendered with a distinctly local energy.
The church contains two side chapels, one of which was once maintained by Valencia鈥檚 Fisherman鈥檚 Guild. It's a small space, but rich in paintings and religious art鈥攅nough to captivate even those who aren鈥檛 usually drawn to churches or their architecture.
After sitting closed for over 50 years, the church reopened in 2009 following a major restoration project that brought the Rococo decoration back to life. The reopening coincided with 鈥淭he Glory of the Baroque鈥�, an exhibition that celebrated Baroque artistry across a number of historic churches in the city. Today, it's not just a place of worship, but a beautifully preserved piece of Valencia鈥檚 artistic heritage.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Valencia. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Iglesia de San Juan de la Cruz (Church of St. John of the Cross) on Map
Sight Name: Iglesia de San Juan de la Cruz (Church of St. John of the Cross)
Sight Location: Valencia, Spain (See walking tours in Valencia)
Sight Type: Religious
Sight Location: Valencia, Spain (See walking tours in Valencia)
Sight Type: Religious
Walking Tours in Valencia, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Valencia
Creating your own self-guided walk in Valencia is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Contemporary Architecture Walk
With one foot in the past and the other one in the future, it is hard to find a European city more architecturally intriguing than Valencia. Among the multitude of styles, Valencia particularly excels at the cutting-edge contemporary architecture. She owes it to her own born and bred architect, Santiago Calatrava, renowned for his hyper-modern-surreal designs.
In the course of nearly two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
In the course of nearly two... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles