San Nicolás de Bari, Valencia, Spain
Second full day in Valencia, and a day of culture planned, or at least visits to several churches.
Which counts as culture, right?
We laid in bed to half seven, then leapt out, had showers and after dressing went down for breakfast. Breakfast was fruit, cold cuts, fresh rolls and cakes all with lashings of coffee, was good.
Traffic outside the hotel is mad in the morning, with it trying to get on the main roads alongside and over the long park, we walked over to the other side and flagged a taxi down to take us to San Nicolás de Bari, or close to it, though walking would not have taken much longer than the taxi ride. We think we got the driver to understand our required destination, and he drove off, weaving in and out of the other cars and buses.
He dropped us in a narrow alleyway lined with old shops covered in graffiti, not sure it it was art or just rundown. But with Maps on the mobile, we walked the three minutes to the church, and found out it opened at half ten. We had 90 minutes to kill.
Down the street was a coffee shop, so we had another coffee and watched the world go by from our small table on the street. We then sat on a bench nearer the church as time crept to half ten and the opening of the church.
St Nicholas is an ancient church, but had something of a Baroque makeover in the 18th century, and the walls, ceilings and everywhere covered in paintings, fresos and statues. As a whole it is remarkable, and the work is of a very high standard indeed. As is the way here, it seems, the church was lined with side chapels with statues or triptychs.
A short walk away is the Cathedral, a large a sprawling complex meaning that in the search for the entrance I found another Basilica conjoined to it, so we went it and found a small square church by with the underside of the dowm gloriously painted.
We sat for a wile in the cool before moving on, but crowds at the entrance to the cathedral meant we thought we would return on Friday, early, to beat the crowds. It was half eleven, and in trying somewhere to shady to sit, I find two more churches which to visit, the second a service began at midday. We did stay for ten minutes, but left in a break in play, and went back outside.
But being after midday, it meant bars and restaurants were open, and on a side street we fond a small place that did cold beer and were happy to make us a bowl of Valencian paella, made with chicken and rabbit. Paella takes at least half an hour to make, so we sat, talked and drank cold beers untel the tin pan full of rice, herbs, vegetables and meat was brought.
Once we had eaten, it being two in the afternoon, we walked back to the hotel for a siesta. Going was hard, but we walked on the shady side of the streets, and in 20 minutes we were back in our room, but it had yet to be serviced. When the maid came at three, we went and sat in the shade in the small park in the centre of the boulevard outside the hotel, watching people and traffic coming and going.
We sat in the room, writing and listening to podcasts until it was half six, and the heat of the day had left, to walk back to the centre for arts, so we could take shots of the complex once the sun set at quarter to nine.
In fact, the hour we took to ambe there on Wednesday could be done is close to 20 minutes if you don't stop every 20 yards to take photos. Who knew?
The paths and tracks were packed with people doing exercise, taking their dogs or children out for a walk, or just out.
Like us.
Once we reached the complex, crowds had thinned as all was closed to visitors, so it was just a hardy band of photographers and tourists waiting for the sun to set. We had 90 minutes to wait, so we walked up to the far end of the site, where the zoo was, and in there is another fine building, but it could not be seen from the road or paths, but the walk did increase our step could to over 16,000!
As the sun set, lights came on, so we walked back to the taxi rank, taking dozens, if not hundreds of shots, as the light changed minute by minute, and lights came on, illuminating and highlighting the shapes of the buildings.
Half nine, it was dark, and it took ten minutes for a taxi to come by that we could flag down, he whizzed us back to the hotel, and a walk over the road to the Irish bar where most of the city were inside watching the various games ebig shown. I got us a drink and we took them to sit on the cool pavement tables, watching the traffic and beautiful people passing by. Some were on their way out to paint the town, we were pooped, so went back to the hotel.
----------------------------------------------------
The space occupied by the parish church of San Nicolás has been considered sacred practically since the Roman foundation of the city. Apparently in this area a temple was already dedicated to pagan divinities and was a burial place outside the city walls, according to Roman custom.
Historical documents state that the first building was built in the time of King James I, who donated the place to the Dominicans who accompanied him. Years later the Dominicans founded the Convent of Santo Domingo (current Captaincy General building) and the temple was directly linked to the diocese of Valencia and the secular clergy. It was erected as a parish around 1242 and is included in the first twelve Christian parishes of the city of Valencia after the restoration of the Diocese in the year 1238.
It is the Dominicans who dedicate this new Parish to San Nicolás Obispo, patron saint of the Order, since its founder, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, was writing the Constitutions of the Order of Preachers at that time in the Convent of San Nicolás de Bologna.
Later, an altar was dedicated to San Pedro Mártir in this Parish. A miracle occurred in it that saved the life of a newborn, so the devotion in Valencia for this saint grew until San Pedro Mártir ended up being co-owner of the Parish. And although the church maintains, and as such they appear on its High Altar, the ownership of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, the church is popularly known as San Nicolás.
Later, in the middle of the Golden Age, San Nicolás will be linked to relevant figures of this century such as the writer Jaume Roig, administrator of the parish; and Alfonso de Borja, future Pope Calixto III. It is the century in which San Nicolás is fully transformed into a Gothic building and is enlarged towards the feet.
Centuries later, it will experience the great Baroque transformation that results in the architectural adaptation of the building and its redecoration with the excellent fresco paintings that decorate it and that we can currently appreciate in all its splendor.
In the 19th century, the environment of the parish changed substantially, since the Plaza de San Nicolás was opened within the Interior Reform carried out by the Valencia City Council. The neo-Gothic south façade that opens onto the square stands out from this period.
During the Civil War of 1936-1939, San Nicolás suffered serious damage: the chapels were destroyed and the temple looted and turned into a warehouse. After this sad episode, the Parish was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1981.
And in the 21st century the architectural and pictorial restoration of the Parish began under the patronage of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation, whose magnificent result allows us to contemplate the Parish in all its splendor.
The primitive church built after the reconquest began its transformation towards Gothic between 1419 and 1455. In this last date the temple was enlarged towards the feet, occupying the place where the parish cemetery or fossar was located . The ribbed vault was also built in the central nave.
It is a church with a single nave with six sections, side chapels between the buttresses (six on each side although two of them are occupied by the side entrance doors) and a polygonal presbytery facing east.
Between 1690 and 1693 the Gothic interior is covered with Baroque decoration in the style of the time, a reform attributed to Juan Bautista Pérez Castiel. On the architectural reform, the fresco paintings designed by Antonio Palomino and executed by his disciple Dionís Vidal in 1700, who covered the Gothic vaults, pillars and walls with scenes from the life of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, together with with allegories of the Virtues in risky foreshortenings.
San Nicolás de Bari, Valencia, Spain
Second full day in Valencia, and a day of culture planned, or at least visits to several churches.
Which counts as culture, right?
We laid in bed to half seven, then leapt out, had showers and after dressing went down for breakfast. Breakfast was fruit, cold cuts, fresh rolls and cakes all with lashings of coffee, was good.
Traffic outside the hotel is mad in the morning, with it trying to get on the main roads alongside and over the long park, we walked over to the other side and flagged a taxi down to take us to San Nicolás de Bari, or close to it, though walking would not have taken much longer than the taxi ride. We think we got the driver to understand our required destination, and he drove off, weaving in and out of the other cars and buses.
He dropped us in a narrow alleyway lined with old shops covered in graffiti, not sure it it was art or just rundown. But with Maps on the mobile, we walked the three minutes to the church, and found out it opened at half ten. We had 90 minutes to kill.
Down the street was a coffee shop, so we had another coffee and watched the world go by from our small table on the street. We then sat on a bench nearer the church as time crept to half ten and the opening of the church.
St Nicholas is an ancient church, but had something of a Baroque makeover in the 18th century, and the walls, ceilings and everywhere covered in paintings, fresos and statues. As a whole it is remarkable, and the work is of a very high standard indeed. As is the way here, it seems, the church was lined with side chapels with statues or triptychs.
A short walk away is the Cathedral, a large a sprawling complex meaning that in the search for the entrance I found another Basilica conjoined to it, so we went it and found a small square church by with the underside of the dowm gloriously painted.
We sat for a wile in the cool before moving on, but crowds at the entrance to the cathedral meant we thought we would return on Friday, early, to beat the crowds. It was half eleven, and in trying somewhere to shady to sit, I find two more churches which to visit, the second a service began at midday. We did stay for ten minutes, but left in a break in play, and went back outside.
But being after midday, it meant bars and restaurants were open, and on a side street we fond a small place that did cold beer and were happy to make us a bowl of Valencian paella, made with chicken and rabbit. Paella takes at least half an hour to make, so we sat, talked and drank cold beers untel the tin pan full of rice, herbs, vegetables and meat was brought.
Once we had eaten, it being two in the afternoon, we walked back to the hotel for a siesta. Going was hard, but we walked on the shady side of the streets, and in 20 minutes we were back in our room, but it had yet to be serviced. When the maid came at three, we went and sat in the shade in the small park in the centre of the boulevard outside the hotel, watching people and traffic coming and going.
We sat in the room, writing and listening to podcasts until it was half six, and the heat of the day had left, to walk back to the centre for arts, so we could take shots of the complex once the sun set at quarter to nine.
In fact, the hour we took to ambe there on Wednesday could be done is close to 20 minutes if you don't stop every 20 yards to take photos. Who knew?
The paths and tracks were packed with people doing exercise, taking their dogs or children out for a walk, or just out.
Like us.
Once we reached the complex, crowds had thinned as all was closed to visitors, so it was just a hardy band of photographers and tourists waiting for the sun to set. We had 90 minutes to wait, so we walked up to the far end of the site, where the zoo was, and in there is another fine building, but it could not be seen from the road or paths, but the walk did increase our step could to over 16,000!
As the sun set, lights came on, so we walked back to the taxi rank, taking dozens, if not hundreds of shots, as the light changed minute by minute, and lights came on, illuminating and highlighting the shapes of the buildings.
Half nine, it was dark, and it took ten minutes for a taxi to come by that we could flag down, he whizzed us back to the hotel, and a walk over the road to the Irish bar where most of the city were inside watching the various games ebig shown. I got us a drink and we took them to sit on the cool pavement tables, watching the traffic and beautiful people passing by. Some were on their way out to paint the town, we were pooped, so went back to the hotel.
----------------------------------------------------
The space occupied by the parish church of San Nicolás has been considered sacred practically since the Roman foundation of the city. Apparently in this area a temple was already dedicated to pagan divinities and was a burial place outside the city walls, according to Roman custom.
Historical documents state that the first building was built in the time of King James I, who donated the place to the Dominicans who accompanied him. Years later the Dominicans founded the Convent of Santo Domingo (current Captaincy General building) and the temple was directly linked to the diocese of Valencia and the secular clergy. It was erected as a parish around 1242 and is included in the first twelve Christian parishes of the city of Valencia after the restoration of the Diocese in the year 1238.
It is the Dominicans who dedicate this new Parish to San Nicolás Obispo, patron saint of the Order, since its founder, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, was writing the Constitutions of the Order of Preachers at that time in the Convent of San Nicolás de Bologna.
Later, an altar was dedicated to San Pedro Mártir in this Parish. A miracle occurred in it that saved the life of a newborn, so the devotion in Valencia for this saint grew until San Pedro Mártir ended up being co-owner of the Parish. And although the church maintains, and as such they appear on its High Altar, the ownership of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, the church is popularly known as San Nicolás.
Later, in the middle of the Golden Age, San Nicolás will be linked to relevant figures of this century such as the writer Jaume Roig, administrator of the parish; and Alfonso de Borja, future Pope Calixto III. It is the century in which San Nicolás is fully transformed into a Gothic building and is enlarged towards the feet.
Centuries later, it will experience the great Baroque transformation that results in the architectural adaptation of the building and its redecoration with the excellent fresco paintings that decorate it and that we can currently appreciate in all its splendor.
In the 19th century, the environment of the parish changed substantially, since the Plaza de San Nicolás was opened within the Interior Reform carried out by the Valencia City Council. The neo-Gothic south façade that opens onto the square stands out from this period.
During the Civil War of 1936-1939, San Nicolás suffered serious damage: the chapels were destroyed and the temple looted and turned into a warehouse. After this sad episode, the Parish was declared a National Historic-Artistic Monument in 1981.
And in the 21st century the architectural and pictorial restoration of the Parish began under the patronage of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation, whose magnificent result allows us to contemplate the Parish in all its splendor.
The primitive church built after the reconquest began its transformation towards Gothic between 1419 and 1455. In this last date the temple was enlarged towards the feet, occupying the place where the parish cemetery or fossar was located . The ribbed vault was also built in the central nave.
It is a church with a single nave with six sections, side chapels between the buttresses (six on each side although two of them are occupied by the side entrance doors) and a polygonal presbytery facing east.
Between 1690 and 1693 the Gothic interior is covered with Baroque decoration in the style of the time, a reform attributed to Juan Bautista Pérez Castiel. On the architectural reform, the fresco paintings designed by Antonio Palomino and executed by his disciple Dionís Vidal in 1700, who covered the Gothic vaults, pillars and walls with scenes from the life of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, together with with allegories of the Virtues in risky foreshortenings.