Santiponce Itálica

Heritage

An immense legacy waiting to be discovered

Concepción Church (Los Descalzos)

1677
1

This church is considered one of the most significant Baroque buildings in the province of Seville and a jewel of Ecijan Baroque. The Limpia Concepción de Nuestra Señora Church (Los Descalzos) was renovated between 2006 and 2009, under the “Baroque Andalusia” programme of the Andalusian Government. The church had remained closed for 30 years until then.

The temple, initially built around 1601, was partially destroyed by lightning in 1612. It was re-opened in 1614. It has a Latin cross plan with a single nave, a transept, side chapels, a high choir at the west end and a Presbytery with a flat head and Sacristy behind it. The nave is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes and a dome on pendentives in the transept.

Transformations and additions were made throughout the 18th century, including an austere, classical entrance, sgraffito on the exterior walls, beautiful polychrome and gilded plasterwork and wall paintings inside the church. The latter focuses mainly on Carmelite saints and the Order’s anagrams, intertwined with plant elements, rocaille and anthropomorphic figures. 

In addition to the richly decorated interior walls, it also boasts a valuable collection of religious furniture, including the main altarpiece, small altarpieces in the chapels, the organ, the Mudejar woodwork, wooden railings and latticework, and liturgical objects. 

Given that the 1755 earthquake severely damaged the old tower, the existing belfry was built on the Epistle side of the wall.

These renovation works have received several awards, such as the European Union’s “European Prize for Cultural Heritage. Europa Nostra Awards”, in 2010, in the “Conservation” category.

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