Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
When I walk around the city and especially when I admire the church buildings and their architecture, I never know what I am going to find when I enter the church.
On this occasion, although I had walked past it several times before, I had never entered this church.
Its baroque façade looks very old and the Compañía street where it is located is very narrow, making it difficult to take pictures.
The Church of Santo Cristo de la Salud is located a few steps from the Plaza Constitución and very close to the Thyssen Museum and El Ateneo.
It goes unnoticed if you walk past without looking closely and its exterior façade, although beautiful, is not one of the most striking in the city.
It was built between the 16th and 17th centuries by the Jesuits or Company of Jesus, hence its name.
Originally there was only a hermitage when the Jesuits settled in Malaga, but they saw the need for a larger church for worship.
This is the church where the remains of Pedro de Mena were kept, which are now in the Church of Santa Ana.
The construction is very old but no less beautiful and the door reminded me of the old castle doors.
The woodwork is very beautiful, both the main door and the secondary door, before entering the interior of the place.
For many years without any maintenance or conservation work, in 2013 and 2014 some work was started to maintain this historical heritage. Years later the church was able to reopen its doors for worship and was declared an asset of cultural interest with the title of monument.
What struck me most about this church was that when I entered I realised that it was circular. I had never seen this before in this city or any other.
The exterior façade did not indicate that it was circular on the inside, so when I entered I was surprised.
I always look at the roofs of churches and this one is beautiful, its circular shape with its style and paintings attracts a lot of attention, although with so many lights and the brightness they were not very noticeable. Depending on where I stood inside the church they were a bit more visible.
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Inside we could see many sculptures and next to each of them, in turn, smaller ones of various saints, as well as a confessional.
There was a great contrast between the white of the walls and the golden colour of each of the chapels where the images were located.
It is always pleasing to see the details of the images, beyond the religious meaning that they may have, the details of the face and the clothing is amazing.
I walked through each of these statues and sculptures, especially looking at the expression of the faces and the excellent workmanship. They were all very well lit to admire their beauty.
The workmanship and style of the altar is very detailed, both the ceiling and the images and all the decorations surrounding them.
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Everything in general is very simple without as much ostentation as I have seen in other churches, but you have to take into account the antiquity.
A church that looks much bigger on the outside but not so much on the inside. Of course, that doesn't mean that it is not important and magnificent.
It was strange to walk around the place in a circular shape, but at the same time it was novel and being in the centre gave a very different panorama in the visual tour than if the church had been square or rectangular.
Another thing I must point out is the state of conservation. I have visited other chapels and churches of the same period and this is the one I saw in the best state of conservation. Perhaps because the renovation works are not so far in time from the present day.
When I entered, a woman was cleaning the floor of the church with great care, leaving a space for people to enter and visit the church. But she was also preparing everything for the mass that was to be celebrated.
At the exit door he has information about the timetable, the masses and other details.
Right next to that door I could see a beautiful pink marble baptismal font. I love this type of work, as I always say, beyond the religious significance. They are great works and deserve attention.
The whole church was full of art, not only sculptures of a Catholic religious nature, but also paintings, all beautiful and ancient, could be seen at the top.
Inside you could breathe peace and warmth, a lot of serenity.
It was a pleasant visit to an unusual church, which in general surprised me, especially because of its interior.
Best regards to all and see you next time.
Amonet.
Miniature and separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
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