Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari y San Pedro Mártir

Just when you though the Valencia Cathedral was amazing, I bring you The parish church of St. Nicolas. Yes, that St. Nicolas. From Turkey. this place, as you will see is referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Valencia for good reason.



The ceiling is alive with angels and holy men. But is was not always this way. There is evidence of a Roman temple on this site dating to about 138 BCE. Sometime between the 3rd and 6th centuries a church was built and commandeered by the Muslims in the 8th century to be a mosque.

In 1238, King James I of Aragon took back the city of Valencia and reconsecrated the structure to be a church. It was in the 15th century that the building took its current form.

Even the back of the church is pretty amazing.

But it is the front that is truly stunning.

There are chapels all around the sides filled with beautiful and amazing works of religious art.

The baroque decoration around the chapels is more than just beautiful, it is breathtaking.

Here you can see a bit better the way the chapels are arranged to the sides of the main vault.

Near the altar, there is a bust of St. Nicolas. Behind this is a fairly amazing altar piece.

There is a pipe organ on the left and statues of the two namesakes in the center of the altarpiece.

There seems to be no square inch of walls or ceiling that are not covered with paintings.

This place is much smaller than the cathedral but it is truly magnificent. A must-see when you visit this city.