Church of Nuestra Señora de la Palma, Algeciras facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of Our Lady of the PalmIglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Palma |
|
|---|---|
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Palma on the Plaza Alta
|
|
| 36°7′51.22″N 5°26′51.84″W / 36.1308944°N 5.4477333°W | |
| Location | Algeciras |
| Country | Spain |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Consecrated | 6 June 1738 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Bien de Interés Cultural |
| Designated | 4 July 1992 |
| Architect(s) | Alonso Barranco, Isidro Casaus |
| Groundbreaking | 1723 |
| Completed | 1738 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Spire height | 150 ft (46 m) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Seville |
| Diocese | Cadiz and Ceuta |
The Church of Our Lady of the Palm is a beautiful Roman Catholic church in Algeciras, Spain. You can find it on the southwestern side of the Plaza Alta, which is a main square in the city. This church is a very important landmark in Algeciras, just like the Plaza Alta itself. The Spanish Ministry of Culture recognized it as a special cultural site in 1992.
History of the Church
The church is named after Santa María de la Palma (Mary the Virgin of Palm Sunday). This name comes from Palm Sunday in 1344. That's when Alfonso XI of Castile took control of the city after a long fight called the Siege of Algeciras (1342-1344).
After this victory, Pope Clement VI created the Diocese of Algeciras. This was a special church area linked to the one in Cadiz. The Pope changed the main mosque of Algeciras into a Christian church. However, the city was taken back by the Moors in 1368 and destroyed. The Diocese of Algeciras disappeared with it.
The Church of Our Lady of the Palm is also the home of a religious group called the Brotherhood of Jesus of Nazareth, Holy Christ of the Faith, Holy Cross of Jerusalem and Mary of Sorrows. In 1923, when the church turned 200 years old, Pope Pius XI made Santa María de la Palma a co-patron saint of Algeciras. She shares this special title with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
Work on the church building you see today started in 1723. The city was growing, and the nearby Chapel of Our Lady of Europe was no longer big enough for everyone. Alonso Barranco began the construction, and Isidro Casaus finished it. The church was completed in 1738. On June 6 of that year, it officially became a parish church. Even while it was still being built in 1736, it started serving the local community. The Plaza Alta, the square where the church stands, was built later in 1807. It features the church, the Chapel of Our Lady of Europe, palm trees, and a fountain.
Church Design and Features
The church first had one main area and two side areas. In 1795, two more smaller side areas were added. The tall tower, which is about 150 feet (46 m) high, was built between 1793 and 1804. Workers used stones from the old city walls to build it. You can still see marks from the stonemasons on these blocks in the tower, similar to marks found elsewhere in the city.
The main area of the church, called the nave, has a rounded ceiling. Thick columns separate it from the side areas. The side areas have arched ceilings supported by flat columns. The front of the church has strong supports on either side of the door and a special spot for the Virgin Mary statue.
Inside the church, there is an 18th-century sculpture made of alabaster from Italy. A story says it came from a boat that couldn't leave the port because of bad weather. This sculpture was badly damaged during difficult times in May 1931 but was later fixed. Sadly, other parts of the church, like the main altar and a special container called a monstrance, were lost. After a lot of restoration work, the inside of the church is very clean, but it doesn't have many decorations or pictures anymore.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Palma para niños
