Santa María la Blanca Church

After recent restoration, it has been found that Santa María la Blanca is the only church in Seville which has the remains of three religions. Formerly a mosque, it was made a synagogue on the orders of King Alfonso X in 1252, and was then consecrated as a Christian temple in 1391.

In 1661 it was decided to completely transform the church, a work carried out by Juan González. The entire church was demolished, except for the Chancel. The original stone pillars were replaced with five pairs of columns, without base or capital, red veined marble from Antequera, carved by the stonemason Gabriel de Mena. The three naves are vaulted. The choir, with mahogany wood seats, is at the foot of the church, with a low arch.

The austere style on the outside contrasts with the artistic treasures inside, a feature which sets it apart from the other churches in the town. It shows impressive plasterwork with geometric and plants motifs, rosettes, angels, cherubs and even a reproduction of the Giralda, which occupies the entire surface of the vaults, dome and intrados of arches. These adornments, together with murals and tiled plinths, reflect a very mature Baroque style. Highlights include paintings by Murillo and images of Ntra. Señora de las Nieves and Cristo del Mandate.

On the outside, the church has out two small façades. The main one, towards calle Santa María la Blanca, has a type of tower-façade form. This, and the Gothic doorway are all that is left of the 1391 building. It features three sections: the first shows two semicircular window points, without any decoration; the next is the bell tower, with two semicircular arches framed by pilasters and finished with a broken pediment; lastly is a belfry with a semicircular arch bay framed by pilasters crowned with ceramic spheres and a wrought iron cross-vane.