Iglesia de la Victoria

The Church of La Victoria is all that remains of the former Convent of Frailes Mínimos de San Francisco de Paula, in Archidona, founded in 1556. It was built over a primitive chapel dedicated to Santa Catalina. The patron was the Duke of Osuna who provided everything necessary for worship.

The Church (17th-18th centuries) consists of three naves separated by pillars. The central nave is covered by a broad barrel vault, whereas in the lateral naves, each section has independent vaults, groin vault, half-sphere, etc. A second floor with small galleries opens above these onto the central nave. The convent was disentailed and sold in 19th century.

The doorway is made of brick pilasters with lintel and overhang. As an emblem of the building, the brick bell gable stands at one corner of the façade and houses the peel of bells.

The lower choir is roofed with a vault decorated in plasterwork. A spacious gallery stands beside the choir on the right nave. The arms of the dukes of Osuna are the motif decorating the transept. The chapel in the right hand nave next to the main altar, occupied by María Santísima de la Paz, is profusely decorated with Indian motifs. At the foot of the left hand nave, on the vault and on the wall, there are the remains of a painting with angels and corbels in shades of grey and the polychrome carving of La Inmaculada, attributed to the school of Alonso de Mena around 1630.

The main altarpiece is painted in white and gold according to the Rococo style. It expresses an iconographic programme on the twelve Apostles around a painting of the Virgin. In 1967, the altarpiece was modified enlarging the lower part of the central arch to install the image of El Dulce Nombre.

The church is currently the canonical seat of three brotherhoods of La Pasión, as well as the Association of Brotherhoods, which is why it houses their images whose statues date back to the 16th to 18th centuries and are of great artistic and devotional value.