Iglesia de San Juan Bautista (Chiclana de la Frontera) facts for kids
The Iglesia de San Juan Bautista (which means Church of St. John the Baptist) is a beautiful church in Chiclana de la Frontera, a town in southern Spain. It is located in the Province of Cádiz, in the region of Andalusia. This church is famous for its Neoclassical architecture style.
A Long History
The story of this church began a very long time ago. An earlier church started being built around 1510. However, it was a very slow project. Even by 1576, it was still not finished!
The Old Church and Its Demise
By the 1700s, the original church was in bad shape. It was falling apart and couldn't be made bigger. So, it had to be taken down. Luckily, some important art was saved. A special carving called a bas-relief from the altarpiece was kept. It was made in 1552 by a sculptor named Roque Balduque and a painter named Andrés Ramírez.
Building the New Church
A new church was needed. A very important architect named Torcuato Cayón was chosen to design it. He was also working on the new Cádiz Cathedral at the time. Cayón was key in changing building styles from Baroque architecture to Neoclassical in that area.
Construction on the new church began in 1776. Torcuato Cayón led the work until he passed away in 1783. The church was finally completely finished in 1814. It stands today as a wonderful example of Neoclassical design.
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