Church of St James, Los Realejos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St James, Los Realejos |
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Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago
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Church of St James, Los Realejos
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Parish |
| Location | |
| Location | Los Realejos, Spain |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1496 |
The Church of St James is a special Roman Catholic church in the town of Los Realejos, Tenerife, Spain. Its Spanish name is Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago. It was started in 1496. This church is dedicated to James the Great, who is an important patron saint in Spain. In 1983, it was officially recognized as a national monument of Spain.
Early History of the Church
The Church of St James was built in 1496. This was soon after a time of war called the Reconquista ended in Tenerife. After the Conquest of the Canary Islands, a leader named Alonso Fernández de Lugo wanted to build a church. He chose to dedicate it to Saint James the Apostle to show his thanks. Other towns, like Gáldar, also had a special connection to Saint James.
On July 25, 1496, a special event happened at the church. Nine Guarache kings were baptized there. These kings included Adjona, Añaterve, and Beneharo. The church is also mentioned in old writings from 1542 by Bishop Diego de Muros. He wrote about gifts of land given to the church.
It is believed that the first church building in 1496 was quite simple. It likely had a basic structure with a straw roof. This made it the very first Christian church on Tenerife. A door on the north side of the church today dates back to 1570. It was carved by Juan Benítez and is known as the "Jacobean doorway."
In 1591, an inventory of the church was made. It listed three main altars. The largest altar had an old image of Saint James as a pilgrim. Another altar was for Bartholomew the Apostle, Benedict of Nursia, and Anthony of Padua. There was also an altar for Our Lady of Los Remedios. The inventory also mentioned paintings of Saint Sebastian and Saint Michael. Many valuable gold and silver items were also listed. The church also had a wooden choir, an organ, and a pulpit.
Building the Church We See Today
The church building you see now was mostly built starting in the 17th century. The older 16th-century building was in poor condition. So, in 1604, the same stonemason who made the 1570 doorway was hired. His job was to take down the "Old church" and build a new one. The new design made the single nave (the main part of the church) bigger. It also added chapels on both sides of the transept (the cross-shaped part). Some materials from the old church were reused. New stone was brought from the quarries of Tigaiga.
In 1610, the "nave del Evangelio" was finished. This is on the north side of the church. It has a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. What used to be the main door to the nave became the entrance to this new chapel.
The south side, called the "nave de la Epístola," was finished in 1626. A stonemason named Manuel Penedo built this new nave. He used stone from the quarries of Acentejo. By 1667, the chancel (the area around the altar) was rebuilt. At this point, all parts of the old church had been replaced.
The church's roof was made with wood from Tigaiga. The main nave's roof is very important. It has a special design with a cross frame and coffers (sunken panels). It also has two hanging decorations. The gold and colors used to decorate it were done by Andrés Gómez. The roofs of the side chapels are simpler but have a similar design. The church tower on the left side was built in 1774. It replaced an earlier tower. The top of the tower has Mudéjar style ceramic tiles.
By the end of the 1700s, the church looked much like it does today. It has a design common in the Canary Islands. It has three naves that are all the same height. Each nave has its own roof, decorated in the traditional Mudéjar style.
Inside the church, you can see beautiful statues. These include Our Lady of Remedies (Los Realejos) by sculptor Fernando Estévez. There is also El Nazareno (Los Realejos) by Martín de Andújar Cantos.
In 1922, some parts of the church were getting old. So, the stone arches and columns were replaced with new concrete ones. These new columns have Ionic capitals (the decorative tops). In the 1960s, the main nave was made even bigger. Two new side chapels were also added.
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago (Los Realejos) para niños
