Antequera’s Iglesia de San Juan de Dios

Another day, another beautiful church in Antequera.

After visiting Iglesia del Carmen and Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, this time we went to Iglesia San Juan de Dios which is located on Antequera’s main street (steps away from Nuestra Señora de los Remedios).

João Cidade Duarte was a Portuguese nurse who in 1539 opened a hospital in Granada to tend to the sick and homeless. His fame grew and the bishop of the city named him Juan de Dios. Within another 10 years he had opened another hospital in Granada. His hospitals were known to be innovative for the times and his followers grew. In 1550 he died, a victim of pneumonia as a result of having jumped into a river to help a drowning man.

In 1572 his disciples started the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God (Orden Hospitalaria de San Juan de Dios) which to this day has hospitals, clinics and social services centers in 46 countries around the world.

Back to the church…

When the order came in to Antequera in the 17^th century, they started work on this church in his name. It would take until the end of the 18^th century for Iglesia de San Juan de Dios to be completed.

The exterior is built out of sandstone from the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Singligia Barba. The exception is the doorway which is made from red limestone from El Torcal. Inside, the church is a jewel of Andalusian Baroque with its white plasterwork. Plant and animal motifs predominate, although they also represent angels. The main altarpiece has a sculpture of the Immaculate Conception, located in the central niche, accompanied on the sides by images of San Joaquín and Santa Ana. The church is filled with paintings themed after the life of San Juan de Dios.