Iglesia Vaticana Castrense de San Francisco facts for kids

The Church of San Francisco is a beautiful old church located in San Fernando, a town in the Province of Cádiz in Andalusia, Spain. It's right on the main street, Calle Real, where many other important buildings are found.

This church started as a school and hospice run by Franciscan monks in 1765. The Spanish Navy began building the current church in 1785, a time when the Navy was very important in San Fernando.

Cool Church Design

The Church of San Francisco has a special shape, like a Latin cross when you look down from above. It has three main sections inside, called naves, with a rounded ceiling that looks like a barrel. There's also a big dome. The part of the church that crosses the main section has a unique many-sided shape with a tiled roof.

At the front, the main door is framed by four strong, simple columns called Tuscan pilasters. There's also a second bell tower on the west side, but it doesn't have a bell. The church was fixed up in 1966, and colorful stained glass windows were added. These windows show cool designs related to the Spanish Navy!

Amazing Art Inside

The Church of San Francisco is home to some really special artworks. You can see a set of ten oval paintings that show different apostles, created by an artist named Muñoz de la Vega.

There's also a painting called the "Miracle of the Porziuncola," which is thought to be by Carreño de Miranda, a famous painter. Plus, there are three paintings by Mariano Salvador Maella, who was a special painter for King Charles IV of Spain. Some other oil paintings on canvas, about 120 by 80 centimeters in size, are also found here. We don't know who painted them, but they are from the 1700s and are in the style of the Sevillian school of art.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia Vaticana Castrense de San Francisco para niños