Church of Santiago
Do not miss the charm of the Monumental Center of Almeria.
Church of Santiago
The Church of Santiago is a clear example of the Mudejar style, a word of Arabic origin that means domestic or domesticated, referring in this way to the Arabs who remained in the Christian kingdoms after their conquest to the Muslims and who could continue practicing their faith to change of tributes to the new Christian power.
The Mudejar style is a phenomenon that occurs exclusively in Spain between the 11th and 16th centuries, although in Almería it survived until the 18th century. It was born from the fusion of the Christian and Muslim artistic currents of the time, merging the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance styles with the constructive practices of Islam. The Church of Santiago is sent to build by the Catholic Monarchs five years after the conquest of the city, with the intention of initiating the Christianization of the new territory conquered from the Muslims. Although at first it is located in the site that today occupies the Convent of Santa Clara, in the year 1,553 begins its construction in its current location, being the architect Juan de Orea follows in its construction the Gothic-Mudejar style.
The most characteristic of this building is found on the side cover, which highlights a large high relief of Santiago Matamoros on horseback, with sword and in full battle against the infidel. It represents the Christian triumph over the Moorish population and was carried out intentionally since at the time of its construction, the street in which it was located, in a mostly Moorish population neighborhood, was the busiest in the city.
