Iglesia Vaticana Castrense de San Francisco facts for kids

The Iglesia Vaticana Castrense de San Francisco, also known as the Church of San Francisco, is a special church in San Fernando, a town in the Province of Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain.

This church started being built in 1785. This was a time when the Spanish Navy was very strong in the town. You can find the church on Calle Real, which is the main street in San Fernando. Many other important buildings are also on this street.

Before it was a church, the site was a school and hospice run by Franciscan priests. They offered church services there from 1765. However, it was the Navy that began building the church we see today in 1785.

Church Design

The Church of San Francisco has a shape like a Latin cross when you look down from above. It has three main sections inside, called naves. The roof is shaped like a half-cylinder, known as a barrel vault, with strong arches supporting it. There is also a round dome.

The part of the church that crosses the main section, called the transept, has a many-sided shape and a tiled roof. At the main entrance, there are four simple, strong columns called Tuscan pilasters around the door. The church also has a second bell tower on its west side, but it doesn't have a bell.

The church was repaired and updated in 1966. During this time, beautiful stained glass windows were added to the upper parts. These windows show pictures related to the Spanish Navy.

Amazing Artworks

Inside the church, you can find some really important paintings.

• There are ten oval paintings that show different apostles. These were created by an artist named Muñoz de la Vega.
• One special painting shows the "Miracle of the Porziuncola." It is believed to be painted by Carreño de Miranda.
• You can also see three paintings by Mariano Salvador Maella. He was a famous painter who worked for King Charles IV of Spain.
• Some other oil paintings on canvas are also in the church. They are about 120 by 80 centimeters in size. We don't know who painted them, but they are from the 18th century and belong to the "Sevillian school" of art. This means they were painted in the style popular in Seville at that time.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia Vaticana Castrense de San Francisco para niños