Eight centuries of history, art, and faith in the heart of the city. Within the walls of this temple, medieval Gothic, Baroque splendor, and the living legacy of its most recent restoration merge. A complete cultural experience that unites architecture, painting, heritage, and spirituality.
The Royal Parish of Santos Juanes narrates the history of Valencia through its architecture. Erected in the 13th century on the site of an ancient mosque, it survived fires and reconstructions that transformed its Gothic structure into a jewel of Valencian Baroque. Inside, Antonio Palomino conceived a decorative program that turns the temple into a visual catechesis:
The fire of 1936 reduced much of the temple to ashes, but its spirit survived. Today, after decades of effort and thanks to the patronage of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation and the work of the UPV Restoration Institute, Santos Juanes has recovered its original splendor. The restoration combined traditional techniques with innovation:
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Explore the Royal Parish of Santos Juanes through different modalities designed for every type of visitor. From self-guided tours with an audio guide to guided and educational visits, each itinerary brings you closer to eight centuries of history, art, and spirituality. You can also experience the immersive BARROC experience, where light, color, and music bring the temple’s Baroque splendor back to life.
Sculptures of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
On the first level, above the pilasters, stand the stucco sculptures by the Italian artist Giacomo Bertessi, representing the Twelve Tribes of Israel. These figures symbolise the foundations of the chosen people and are accompanied by elements that allow their history to be recognised: Ruben, with a sceptre and crown beside a fallen amphora; or Benjamin, holding a chained wolf.
The Ovals Dedicated to the Holy Johns
The second level is dedicated to the patron saints of the temple: Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Palomino painted ovals and allegories that narrated their lives, accompanied by inscriptions in Latin and stucco allegorical figures, works by Bertessi and Aliprandi. These allegories represent virtues such as Faith (with a burning heart and tablets of the law), Obedience (with a cross and yoke), and Knowledge (illuminating a book with a torch).
Although much of these ovals were lost in the 1936 fire, the treatise *El Museo Pictórico de Palomino* allows us to imagine the complete sequence.
The Great Celestial Vault
The third level, the vault, lifts the gaze towards celestial glory. Inspired by the Apocalypse of Saint John, Palomino depicted the Heavenly Jerusalem, with God the Father at the centre, surrounded by choirs of angels and saints, presided over by Saint Vincent Ferrer, the “angel of the Apocalypse”. At the opposite end, the archangel Saint Michael fights his battle against the infernal dragon, while light and colour envelop the visitor in a vision of transcendence.
The ensemble culminated in the apse, now disappeared, where the Holy Spirit, the Mystic Lamb, and the two patrons of the temple were represented, completing the message of the Trinity and Redemption.
