SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST ALTARPIECE

SURROUNDINGS 

The Church of the Holy Saviour (San Salvador) was built on the site of a XIII century hermitage dedicated to St. Helena (Santa Elena). The first stage of its construction began around the year 1336, though nothing remains of it since the Chapel of St. John the Baptist is precisely the oldest building we can contemplate today.

Today's building has an interior comprising a single nave and a polygonal chancel. Its current appearance is the result of Baroque reformation work undertaken at the beginning of the XVII century. The only surviving remains from the former temple that had already undergone reformation work at the start of the XVI century were the diaphragm arches bearing the weight of the lunette domes. On the other hand, the monumental Renaissance style portico by Juan Sáenz de Escalante, built between 1541 and 1559, can still be admired today. Work on the building's slim bell tower dating from the Baroque Period was completed in 1730.

One of the inner chapels is dedicated to San Pedro Regalado, the town's patron saint.