San Esteban, Valencia
| Iglesia de San Esteban (Spanish) Església de Sant Esteve (Valencian) | |
| Formerly a mosque, currently a parish church | |
 View of the bell tower | |
| Name origin: Iglesia de San Esteban/Església de Sant Esteve Spanish/Valencian for church of Saint Stephen | |
| Country | Spain |
|---|---|
| Autonomous community | Valencian Community |
| Comarca | Horta de València |
| Municipality |  Valencia |
| Architects | Juan Bautista Pérez Castiel, Jerónimo Negret, Guillem Roca, José Gomar, Francesc Anton, Pedro Arnal, etc. |
| Style | Baroque, Neoclassical, Renaissance. |
| Established | Mosque: Moorish rule, Catholic church: 13th-century. |
| - Initiated | Moorish rule |
| - Completion | 1618 |
| For public | Public |
| Visitation | Open |
| Easiest access | Plaza de San Esteban |
| Heritage designation | Spanish Property of Cultural Interest |
| Registration name | Iglesia Parroquial de San Esteban Protomártir |
| Reference no. | RI-51-0000038 |
| Designated | 1955 |
| Wikimedia Commons: Church of Sant Esteve de València | |
The Iglesia de San Esteban is a parish church located in Plaza de San Esteban in the city of Valencia, in the Valencian Community, Spain.
The Iglesia de San Esteban is one of the oldest churches in Valencia, one of ten consecrated by the reconquered Valencia's first bishop, Pedro de Albalat. It is built on one of the ancient mosques of the Muslim city.
History
The original Gothic church was already built in 1276 as a new building, as recorded in historical documentation of the Archive of the Cathedral of Valencia that to this date no longer existed a Christian temple in Valencia with physiognomy of mosque except for the Iglesia de Santo Tomás. It would be a temple of a single nave with a wooden deck and diaphragm arches. For the sole purpose of establishing a comparative chronology, it should be noted that St. Vincent Ferrer was baptized in this church on January 23, 1350, so at the time of such an event occur, the church obeyed this primitive older Gothic factory. St. Vicent Ferrer (1350-1419) and St. Luis Bertrán (1526-1581) were baptized in this church.
On January 26, 1472 the first stone is placed of what will be the temple in its present appearance although many subsequent reforms. On this date the chevet is extended and from then until mid-16th century, the rest of the church is gradually being reformed. So in 1504 Joan Corbera modifies again the presbytery and between 1514 and 1515 is constructed the new plant of the church's nave. The nave works carried out by Fernando de León.
Given the church's deterioration, the temple had to be profoundly altered in 17th-century. In 1608 it rebuilds again the presbytery of new plant, adopts five-sided polygonal shape. the nave's first section and its corresponding side chapels is renewed.
Between 1613 and 1618 the rest of the temple by hand by Jerónimo Negret and Guillem Roca is reconstructed, according to Francesc Anton's project. Of this 17th-century is the current configuration of the church as see it today.
Description
The current temple has a single nave of six sections, chapels between buttresses, semicircular arches, polygonal presbytery, and covered with vault with canvases in brick. It has three chapels at its feet, bell tower and Communion's chapel attached to its exterior in 1696, as recorded in a cartouche of the entrance door by the square.
The exterior is very sober, highlighting the buttresses topped by gargoyles protruding above the flat wall.
Between 1679 and 1682 Juan Bautista Pérez Castiel renews the interior to the Baroque taste of the time. Highlights its ornate plasterwork decoration and stucco, white forms representing rosettes, tallies, putti, cherubs and undulating leaves sgraffito and plant motifs on gray backgrounds in the structural elements (pilasters, nerves and arcs), reds on the ledge and blues in the dome and at the mouth of the chapels. The sgraffitos are the work by José Gomar and a carver surnamed Diez (perhaps Gaspar Diez), while the plasterwork are the work by Vicente Rovira, Tomás Artigues, José Astinguer, Sebastian Martinez and the carver Bauset. All this decoration is of an overwhelming Baroque, next to the Rococo.
Main entrance
The Renaissance-style main entrance was made in 17th-century and is very simple. It is located in the gives onto side of Plaza de San Esteban. It is formed by a semicircular arch, which rests on two pillars supporting a simple entablature. At the top a Saint Stephen's relief of recent time inside an aedicula, as the previous image was lost housed a statue of the Virgin and Child. Finishes off this set a triangular pediment holding the Ionic two pilasters with fluted shaft.
Chapels
Also it belongs to the Baroque the Communion's chapel, completed in 1696, Monumento Histórico-Artístico Nacional. It is a chapel of only nave of three sections, the central covered with dome and lantern on scallops and profusely decorated in Baroque style. The gilded Baroque altarpiece consists of two overlapping bodies in the central niche houses a statue of the Virgin Mary, while the second body smaller, find a painting of the Virgin.
In this same Communion's chapel found on the left's wall a reredos or altar dedicated to Saint Barbara. Join a sculpture of the Ark of the Covenant. For some time this church housed the relics of St. Barbara martyr found that are located in the present Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital (Valencia) and were deposited here provisionally.
In 1682 the Co-fraternity of Notaries built the three chapels located at the foot of the church, the most important houses the baptismal font, and is located in the center. It is covered with dome and lantern and is known as Baptismal Chapel of St. Vincent Ferrer. In the chapel's front wall a Baroque altarpiece gilded in whose center found a niche with two polychrome images, one of St. Vicent Ferrer and the other of St. Luis Bertrán both works by Carmelo Vicent. Atop the reredos a painting of the Virgin. Under the Saints an inscription says: En esta pila bautismal / fueron bautizados los gloriosos / S. Vicente Ferrer y S. Luis Beltrán / hijos de notarios / el B. Nicolás Factor. / Catorce venerables, entre estos el / V. Fray Bonifacio Ferrer y / M. Juana Mª Condesa, fundadora de la congregación / R.R. Esclavas de María (In this baptismal font / were baptized the glorious / S. Vincent Ferrer and S. Luis Beltrán / notaries's children / B. Nicolás Factor. / Venerable fourteen, among these the / V. Friar Bonifacio Ferrer and / M. Juana María Condesa, the congregation's founder / R.R. Servants of Mary). Together with another inscription which reads: En esta pila bautismal fue bautizada el día 8 de octubre de 1825 María del Remedio Palos Casanova cofundadora de las HH. Cap. de la Madre del Divino Pastor (In this baptismal font was baptized on October 8, 1825 María del Remedio Palos Casanov co-founder of HH. Chap. of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd).
On the chapel's side walls two paintings attributed to Francesc Ribalta with representations alluding to facts of life of the parents of both Dominican saints. In one of them see depicted a scene in which Juan Luis Bertrán, widower of his first wife, wants to join the Porta Coeli Charterhouse on the road appear St. Bruno of Cologne and St. Vincent Ferrer and tell him to desist from him action, that return to Valencia and remarriage because his son is a saint (the future St. Luis Bertrán). The second canvas shows the dream that had Guillem Ferrer, which also saw a Dominican monk who tells him that his still unborn son is a saint (the future St. Vincent Ferrer). In this canvase can see in an oval a more detailed story of the meaning of pictorial representation. This chapel's patronage is held by the Co-fraternity of Notaries, as both saints were notaries's children.
In this baptismal font were baptized St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Luis Bertrán. According to tradition says all who have been baptized into this stack no die of accident violently. St. Vincent Ferrer is the Notaries's Patron. It should be emphasized, saying that in this pile, it refer to the baptismal font of the Iglesia de San Esteban, and not the physical stack it see today is of much later date. The fate of the baptismal font of the saints is unknown but presumably disappear in some of the many reforms that had the temple.
The current font adopts cup-shaped, is made of marble and in it can see some St. Vincent Ferrer's emblems, the trumpet of the Apocalypse of whose mouth out flames, allusive to the gift of tongues that is attributed to the saint, can see the rejected mitre that offered in Avignon Pope Benedict XIII and a cloud with the holy Scriptures that the saint always carried.
At the top of this chapel's side walls can see two small ovals with frescoes, the left oval represents St. Louis of Toulouse or perhaps to St. Vincent Ferrer himself celebrating Mass, while the right oval find the Presbyter Anadón (Dominican) delivering the statutes to the twelve founding notaries of the Co-fraternity.
At the foot of the street gives onto career Venerables, opens two twin portals dated in 17th-century, are lintel doors with Doric pilasters. On the entablature ornaments of pyramids with the Order of the Notaries's emblem. These doors allow the passage to the chapels of the feet of the temple but are permanently closed.
The bell tower consists of four bodies, it is from the late 18th-century and is situated at the foot of the church. The body of bells is brick, has a span in each of its four sides formed by semicircular arches and Doric pilasters. In 1775 on the occasion of the St. Vincent Ferrer's canonization the upper body re-grew up with a Baroque cupola.
Starting with the gospel nave and from the chavet are the following side chapels:
- Saint Joseph's Chapel
- Saint Vincent Ferrer's Chapel, under the niche of the saint found a small statue of St. Anthony of Padua
- Holy Trinity's Chapel, under the central niche resting on the altar table an icon of the "Mare de Deu"
- Entrance door to Plaza de San Esteban
- Sacred Heart of Jesus's Chapel, the center of the reredos is occupied by a modern painting of Christ. Under the heading of the chapel a small statue that corresponds to the Mare de Déu del Lledó, the Castellón's Patron.
- Cristo del Rescate's Chapel, it is the last side chapel of the gospel nave located at the foot of the church, it found the christ known as Cristo del Rescate, whose history is linked to the demolished Convento de San José y Santa Tecla. In the vault of this chapel found frescoes earlier than the Baroque renewal of Pérez Castiel. These are dated in 1677 and in the same figure a cartouche with the inscription: PHILI PUS MEF 1677 (Philip made me in 1677, where MEF should read as me fecit). The paintings represent eucharistic symbols (a pelican feeding with its blood to its chicks, an eagle on flames, and angels musicians). It is considered that this chapel could accommodate the cult of the Holy Eucharist before the construction of the Communion's Chapel, which as mentioned was made in 1696.
Continuing along the epistle but this time by the feet and after passing through the baptismal font of St. Vincent Ferrer are the following chapels:
- St. Teresa of Ávila's Chapel, on the wall of the left is the canvas of Jerónimo Jacinto de Espinosa representing the transfer of the Cristo del Rescate upon its arrival in Valencia. Foremost among many other reasons why the background can see a picture of the demolished Del Real Palace of Valencia. Under the saint Teresa of Ávila's figure, the Joachim's statue, made of polychromed wood by Ignacio Vergara in 18th century.
- St. Luis Bertrán's Chapel, carries in his hands the crucifix that symbolizes him and a glass leaving a serpent, an allusion perhaps one of the assassination attempts he had when he was in New Granada (South America).
- Virgen de los Desamparados's Chapel, highlights in this chapel azulejo's plinths that decorate its walls.
- Entrance door to the Communion's Chapel from inside the church. It highlights that in step access can find a Christ on the Cross's statue.
- Entrance door from Plaza de la Comunión de San Esteban. On it is the church's organ.
- St. Francis's Chapel, Order of Minim's founder.
Main altarpiece
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The current altarpiece is Neoclassical work as traces of Manuel Blasco and executed by Cristóbal Sales in 1800. The previous altarpiece consisted primarily of tables by the painter Vicente Juan Masip and had to be sold to get funds to repair the church. The buyer was the king of Spain Charles IV by mediation of Archbishop Juan Francisco Ximenez del Río (1796-1800), so now the tables that composed are in the Museo del Prado. The paintings were works of Vicente Juan Masip and represent scenes of the life of St. Stephen. These are: Management of St. Stephen by Onofre Falcó Torrent (active between 1536-1560), St. Stephen accused of blasphemy, St. Stephen in the synagogue, St. Stephen led to the martyrdom, The funeral of St. Stephen and The Stoning of Saint Stephen, these last five of the painter Vicente Juan Masip. Completed the altarpiece, three canvases as a predella, with the titles: Agony in the Garden by Onofre Falcó (left), The Last Supper Joan of Joanes (center) and The Crowning of Thorns Onofre Falcó (right). The Last Supper is in the Museo del Prado and the other two paintings in the sacristy of this church. The attribution of the paintings to Onofre Falcó is discussed as some authors attribute these canvases to Vicente Requena the Elder.
In the central table and corresponding to the San stephen's burial, can see in the lower left corner the Aguiló family's shield that were the one who paid for the altarpiece in 1556. In this canvas can see the self-portrait of the artist looking to front dress in black mode of his time.
With the money obtained it modified the presbytery shaping semicircular, removed the Baroque lime mortar outer coating and covered with an oven vault made of brick, which was frescoed by Vicente López Portaña in 1802 and represents the Glorification of St. Stephen.
The Altarpiece consists of six large fluted Corinthian columns supporting an Neoclassical entablature, while the top section is work by Pedro Arnal. The central niche houses an image of St. Stephen attributed to the hand by José Esteve Bonet. At the foot of the saint, the figure of an angel holding a banner and a boy carrying stones in his hands, symbol of his martyrdom. In the attic two sculptures representing St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Luis Bertrán.
Currently in this Altarpiece can find four large dated canvases by 1650 Jerónimo Jacinto de Espinosa who have title: Appearing in dreams of Gamaliel to priest Lucian requesting the transfer of the body of St. Stephen, Lucian relating to John II, Bishop of Jerusalem the Gamaliel's request, Discovery of the St. Stephen's body and Transfer of the body of St. Stephen to Constantinople. These paintings were part of the doors that closed the main altarpiece painted by Vicente Juan Masip, that altarpiece that was sold to Charles IV. In this last painting can see the painter's self-portrait located on the right side, dressed in black, with folded hands and looking straight ahead.
Under the Espinosa's canvases, two paintings made in 17th century by Pedro Orrente entitled: Vision of Saint Teresa and the martyrdom of St. Lawrence.
Old images
Coordinates: 39°28′34.07″N 0°22′23.37″W / 39.4761306°N 0.3731583°W