Orihuela

Churches

Orihuela's churches are the southernmost examples of Catalan Gothic. To quote from someone who knows better than I:

In the Catalan style, there is a predominance of horizontal lines, of solid panels over empty spaces, of flat terraces without roofs, and a preference for large bare surfaces

This is the tower of Saints Justa and Rufina, which was closed on both the occasions we visited Orihuela. The tower is higher than any other in the city, including that of the cathedral.

Orihuela, SS Justa and Rufina tower

This the nave of Santiago, whose altar and apse show how the church was "improved" with some baroque features.

Orihuela, Santiago, nave

Santiago has a very ornate door, and a richly decorated organ:

Orihuela, Santiago, Organ

The isabelline other side of this doorway.

Orihuela, Santiago Isabelline door

This is the chapel for the Santiago Paso

Orihuela, Paso Santiago

This is the Cathedral, displaying the bare surfaces.

Orihuela, Cathedral facade

You're not supposed to take photos inside the cathedral, I only discovered on my second visit. All Spanish churches seem to have grillwork protecting the altar from the laity.

Orihuela, Cathedral high altar

Unlike Seville, the South door has saints standing on all the pedestals

Orihuela, Cathedral S Door



The North Door is more, well, recent

Orihuela, North Door

Cloisters at the East end of the Cathedral

Orihuela, Cathedral Cloister

This former church is now the museum of Holy Week, and contains many floats used in the Holy Week parades. They include groups by Salzillo, one of the most famous sculptors in the region. No photos allowed :-(

Orihuela, Holy Week Museum

Sacheverell Sitwell's interest in Orihuela lay not in the Gothic churches, but in the baroque Saint Dominic's convent. This is now a school, and we had arrived just too late to see the play or pantomime.

Orihuela, St Dominic 1

He says that the church has two splendid, double-storeyed, cloisters. We only got to see one of them.

Orihuela, St Dominic 2

Perhaps this is the door that leads through to the second cloister.

Orihuela, St Dominic 3


Street Scenes

This little square has the tourist information office (one of two, if we were to believe the tourist information supplied at the town hall, where they had sent us off in the opposite direction), and on the right, the Palacio del Marqués de Rafal, on the left, the Palacio del Conde de Pinohermoso, now the public library.

Orihuela, Turismo

This is the Rafal palace

Orihuela, Rafal

Here the font of the Palacio del Conde de Granja de Rocamora. Apparently the collection of furniture is interesting, but not open to the public.

Orihuela, Granja

This is all that is left of the Palacio Ruiz de Villafranca, or Inquisitor's house, of that there is no possible doubt, no probable possible shadow of doubt, no possible doubt whatever. It says so on the pedestal.

Orihuela, Ruiz de Villafranca


© Mike Murphy, 2010. Last modified: 2010-04-06