The Church of St. Nicholas of Bari and St. Peter the Martyr is the so-called »Valencian Sistine Chapel».», It was Gianluigi Colalucci himself who carried out the restoration work on the church, the man who restored the real Sistine Chapel! It is when he sees it finished that he decides to baptise it as such.
It has little to do with the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, as the church of St. Nicholas is fully dressed inside with Baroque. It has almost 2000 square metres.
From the outside it is a very ordinary gothic church, but it is when we enter it that we are surprised.
It is the best example of the coexistence of a temple with a 15th century Gothic structure with 17th century Baroque decoration to be found in the city of Valencia.
But let's go back to the beginning of the foundation of Valencia, in Roman times, as this temple has a long history.
The church is located in an area which, during the period of Valentia Edetanorum, this was an area outside the walls and was therefore close to the cemetery area.
The first building of a temple was done in the time of the king James I, the king who conquers the city of Balansiya, After the reconquest, he donated the place to the Dominicans who accompanied him.
It was the Dominicans who dedicated the church to the order's patron saint, St. Nicholas, thus erecting one of the most important The first churches in the city, in the middle of the 13th century.
Antonio Palomino He visited Valencia, leaving his mark on the Cathedral, the Basilica and other churches, including San Nicolás.
From the hand of his Valencian disciple, Dionís Vidal, These impressive baroque frescoes were executed in 1700.
They covered the Gothic vaults, pillars and walls with scenes from the life of Saint Nicholas of Bari and Saint Peter Martyr, together with allegories of the Virtues in daring foreshortenings.
Unfortunately, the church has been severely punished, during the spanish civil war was sacked and many of its chapels were destroyed. In addition to this, the ventilation has not been optimal for the maintenance of the frescoes, due to the candles the frescoes had darkened and lost all light and colour.
Inside we can see some 15th century Gothic altarpieces, mostly by the Valencian painter Juan de Juanes.
If you don't want to miss any detail of this marvellous church, we invite you to take the «Art and Architecture» tour with Valencia & Go.
We reveal the secrets of this church and other places of interest!
