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Church of La Merced (16th century)

Church of La Merced (16th century)

It is a 16th century building with a unique baroque dressing room, outstanding for its stucco decoration, paintings and mirrors, and its rich architectural h...
The church, initially a simple hermitage, was built at the beginning of the 16th century, probably on the site of a Mozarabic temple destroyed by the Almohads. As in other cases of churches in Bastet, the church of La Merced follows a Mudejar model. It has a box-shaped ground plan with three naves separated by semicircular arches and a choir loft at the base. The work on the main chapel, made of stone, was contracted in 1546. Separated from the main nave by a semicircular arch, it is covered with a ribbed vault. Attached to the chancel there is a Baroque chapel with a dome in the shape of an ellipse, decorated with a profuse programme of stuccoes, paintings and mirrors. The image of the Virgen de la Piedad, co-patron saint of the city, is kept there. The old lime framework of the main nave has been replaced by another wooden roof, the final result of which is unfortunate. The façade of the church was built in 1776 in grey marble. The convent of which it forms part was founded in 1522, although it was not until 1534 that it received the definitive impetus for its construction. The façade bay with its façade remains in good condition. The old cloister is now a courtyard in the shape of an E. Barrio de la Merced: Arab suburb of Churra. Perhaps the oldest in the medieval city. The convent and church of La Merced, the Old Butcher's Shops, Plaza de la Cruz Verde and Plaza de Santo Domingo were built here in the Christian era.