Iglesia de San Juan Bautista

I realize that you are getting two churches in a row, but these are worth a look. The church of St. John the Baptist is clearly a step down in size and expense from the cathedral, but is right up there in grandeur.



This chapel to Mary is filled with paintings, gilt wood, and a pretty amazing halo on Mary.

The main altar is quite impressive.

The ceiling is painted with a unique geometrical design that I've not seen elsewhere. Usually, ceiling shapes are more rounded, vaguely floral or chosen to fit the rounded shapes of arches and windows. Here, everything has a more angular, geometric feel to it. Even the rounded dormers are joined to the rest of the ceiling with a pointy bit. the colors of gilt and blue-gray are very restful.

This must be the more graphic depiction of Christ I've seen. I found it a bit disturbing to see a figure with so many wounds. I also found it a bit creepy to see that the candles are not white, but rather flesh colored. Combining this with the general flesh colored walls and arch, this chapel just made my skin crawl a bit.

this figure is more in keeping with what I usually expect to see. However, I do find it alway odd that the figure of Christ is depicted as a buff-bodied athlete. I get that He is god and perfect and all. But I really can't imagine that an itinerant preacher wandering the middle east 2000 years ago had the diet to be well fed or the opportunity to workout regularly to maintain those 6-pack abs.

Although ribs are more prominent on this Christ, suggesting a more sensibly fed fellow for His station and time, There are those six-pack abs again. I don't get it. But then there is a lot about these places and icons I don't much get.