Church of Santos Juanes, Valencia

Church of Santos Juanes, Valencia tickets: which one to buy

The Church of the Santos Juanes stands beside the Central Market in the old town of Valencia, Spain, facing the Llotja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange, and a ticket is required for visitors, including an audio guide. It is one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Valencia, famous for its restored ceiling frescoes by Antonio Palomino.

Walking tours of Valencia's old town combine the church with the Central Market, the Silk Exchange, a UNESCO site, the cathedral and the Church of San Nicolás. The church is a short walk from the Xàtiva metro station and the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The market is open in the mornings, except on Sundays, and it is a lively place to have lunch. The church is active, and visiting pauses during services. The church's ticket office is at the side entrance facing the market.

Visiting Church of Santos Juanes, Valencia: what to see

A church was built on the site of a mosque after the Christian conquest of Valencia in 1238, and it was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the fourteenth century after a fire. In the late seventeenth century, the church was redecorated in the baroque style, and between 1697 and 1702, the painter Antonio Palomino covered the vault with frescoes showing the apotheosis of the church and the lives of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. The church was burned in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, and the frescoes were badly damaged. A long restoration, completed in 2020, using advanced techniques, recovered much of the frescoes, and the results are spectacular.

The facade facing the market is decorated with statues, a clock and a weathervane in the shape of a bird. The church also has a Gothic tower and baroque chapels, including the Chapel of Communion. The church's interior shows the frescoes in bright colours, with angels, saints and allegorical figures. The main altar is gilded and holds statues of the two saints John. The Chapel of Communion has a baroque dome. The church's tower rises above the market. The facade's statues represent saints and virtues. The restoration uncovered original colours and details lost for decades. The church's rose window is Gothic. The weathervane, known as the Pardal de Sant Joan, is a symbol of Valencia. The church's side chapels hold altarpieces and paintings.

Church of Santos Juanes, Valencia opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with a break at lunchtime. Valencia is warm and sunny for much of the year, and summer is hot. The Fallas festival in March fills the city with fireworks, giant sculptures and crowds. The Central Market is busiest on Saturday mornings. Morning is the best time to combine the church with the market and the Silk Exchange. Allow about half an hour for the church, and visit the Central Market next door for lunch. The Silk Exchange, across the square, is a Gothic building with a hall of twisted columns and a garden of orange trees.