Iglesia de San Juan Bautista (Saint John Baptist Church), Malaga

This parish church presides over one of the four parishes established in Málaga after the defeat of the Moors in 1487. Two fraternities that go on procession on Holy Week have chapels within the building. The fraternity of sorrows of San Juan occupies the sacramental chapel and a chapel in the right aisle and the Fused brotherhood occupies four chapels, three in the left aisle and one at the foot of the right aisle.

The church was constructed combining Gothic and Mujedar architectural styles with Moorish arches and pillars. A tower was completed in 1543. The 1680 earthquake damaged the structure including the tower. A baroque style tower porch leading to the building was erected at the entrance of the church in 1770 and reconstruction of the church was completed in 1780. The tower porch has a rectangular shape with an elliptical dome. The chapels and altarpiece of the church are richly carved. There is a splendid 17th-century statue of San Juan by the artist, Franciso Ortiz.

The building has undergone periodic restoration. Extensive repairs were carried out in 1962. Recently, the interiors were given a makeover and the church was repainted from beige to the original white.

Why You Should Visit:
Stands out for its huge tower and very unusual exterior murals from the 18th century.
The interior is a soft shade of blue and also impressive, including the richly decorated altar.