I have often seen buildings and temples as I have walked by, but sometimes one cannot imagine the history behind them and the beauty found inside. This happened to me with the parish and church of Divina Pastora.
I have passed through the Capuchinos neighbourhood a few times, and one of the things that catches your attention in this area is the square, which is very green and located right on a roundabout. But behind that square with so many trees, hidden away, there is a church. I had seen it just passing by, but I had never gone inside. So I looked up the opening hours online and went to visit.
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I walked around the square, looking at the monuments and decorations alluding to the church, and then I crossed the street and saw a sculpture right in front of the church.
I was surprised to learn that this church was originally a convent dating back to 1632, thanks to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, and that it was initially located on one of the most central streets in the city, Calle Nueva, but they were looking for a more secluded, remote, quiet place for their spiritual work. Years later, the convent was expropriated, and it was not until 1951 that the parish was organised as such. If you would like to read more information, here is a link.
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As the church is hidden behind the square, once I crossed it, I went to see its exterior façade. It is very simple, with its bell tower at the top, and you can tell that it was previously a convent, as the facilities are very large and next to it is the school of the same name.
Some mosaics decorate the façade, and after passing through the gates, I found myself in an entrance hall with some signs and sculptures in a fairly large area.
At first, the church was closed. I asked, and it was still a while before they opened the doors. I walked around the neighbourhood a bit, which is one of the oldest, as you can tell from the buildings, and then I returned to the church. The first thing that caught my attention was the entrance door. Until then, I had never seen a church with a wooden door with glass panes.
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Upon entering, I noticed that simplicity was also present there, although it is true that there were many images and sculptures. There were also many paintings and portraits of important figures in the church.
I like to explore every corner of these places because there is always a lot of art to be found, especially in the sculptures, and the ancient architecture is exquisite. In this case, I really liked the pink marble used in the altar.
I reiterate that there was a lot of simplicity, which was evident in the walls that contained pieces of ancient writings and drawings, but also in the ceilings. There was not the opulence that I usually see in other churches, possibly due to the fact that it was previously a convent and a place of retreat.
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The altar is covered in pink marble and looks really beautiful. It is also full of ancient works of art and the images are beautiful, especially that of the Divine Shepherdess, which reminds me of the previous church I visited, where the Virgin Mary was the centrepiece of the altar.
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Although the whole environment is old, I found it to be well cared for, and there are also numerous paintings on the walls, all of which are not only old but also dark, as was the custom at the time.
The lighting was just right in each area, and the number of sculptures spoke to me of art at every turn. You know that I look at them from that point of view and not from a religious one.
There was a more secluded area where there was a small chapel with the tabernacle, and if I turned around, I could see what I liked most about the church.
The baptismal font was in a corner that seemed otherworldly, also covering part of the walls with that pink marble, and there was a special light there. A charming place.
At the end of the tour, I always like to look around, take general photographs to get an overview of the whole thing and perhaps catch some detail that I may have overlooked, such as this beautiful little table.
The light streamed in through the entrance door, a very original door, as I said at the beginning.
I loved visiting this church and parish. Each one has details that distinguish it, and this one was no exception.
Thank you very much for joining me today. Best regards. See you soon.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.
Separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
//:# (!worldmappin 36.729430 lat -4.421825 long A temple whose history dates back to the 17th century – Divina Pastora 📷 Malaga – Spain d3scr)
