Its real name is Parish, Basilica and Royal Sanctuary of Santa María de la Victoria and together with the Cathedral, it is one of the main churches in Malaga city.
Above all, because Santa María de la Victoria is the patron saint of the city and your image stands out for its beauty inside the sanctuary.
It is located in the neighbourhood of La Victoria in the Sanctuary Square.
Within the same enclosure or space we can find the Crypt of the Counts of Buenavista which is currently under restoration and the museum, closed to the public at this time.
The crypt is located under the sanctuary, and on this occasion I was not able to visit it due to its state of remodelling, but there will be no lack of opportunity.
At first, the Sanctuary of La Victoria was only a hermitage, since it was on this site that King Ferdinand the Catholic set up his camp to take the city around the year 1490. For this reason the hermitage was built to contain the image of Santa María de la Victoria.
This church is home to several brotherhoods and confraternities, such as the brotherhoods of Humility and Love, and is their headquarters when Holy Week is celebrated.
The name of the church is due to the victory obtained and which was announced by brothers of the Order of the Minim. When this victory took place, a miraculous and definitive intervention was attributed to the Virgin. This was the origin of the construction of the hermitage that would later become the Santuario de la Victoria.
When the hermitage passed into the hands of the Minims, they built a convent and church, of which only a few remains remain, dating from the beginning of the 16th century.
The convent later became the Military Hospital.
Due to its condition at the end of the 17th century, the building could not withstand renovation, so it was almost completely destroyed to build the new church, which was much larger and had a different floor plan. This work was completed in 1700.
Next to the Sanctuary we can find the Alfonso XII park, a site of cultural interest, which once served as the convent's orchard.
Its architecture is marvellous and one of the things that stands out most about it is its tower, which is a small chapel tower, which along with others was one of the first to be built in Spain.
Imposing the tower from the top with its different profiles, it is a beautiful work of art, with its baroque style typical of the period.
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The interior is impressive and beautiful, with a central nave, small balconies, tribunes and large windows above them.
The central nave is high and wide and in this way there is a difference with the lateral nave, so that there is more light and this is directed to the chapels, vault, achieving a special effect.
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Among the sculptures that can be found inside, we have the Santa María de la Victoria, from which the Sanctuary derives its name, the work of a German sculptor.
We can also see the Virgin of Bethlehem, the Virgin of the Souls, the image of Jesus Christ of Love and the Virgin of Sorrows.
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Beautiful sculptures where the details, the perfection of the faces and the fantastic expressions stand out.
Around 1990 the Town Hall of Malaga gave more value to the building. Many of the adjoining buildings were demolished and the space was used to enlarge the square.
The Sanctuary has several access ramps and stairs at its two entrances. The work was completed in 1998.
In this sanctuary there are remains of many families of the time, but also the remains of José Gálvez Ginachero, who is in the process of beatification, were transferred in 1993.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI gave the Sanctuary the title of Basilica Menor, making it the third temple in the city with this title, together with the Cathedral and the Basilica de la Esperanza.
The details found inside are astonishing, both in the sculptures, the walls, the chandeliers and the baptismal fonts.
The altar with its baroque style is a real eye-catcher, the brightness and the lighting are marvellous.
I was especially struck by the ceiling and its architecture, the sculptures of the angels and the lamps they hold.
A church with a lot of history, style, architecture that stands out and a lot of beauty. Worth a visit, whether you are religious or not, it is a source of admiration.
Thank you all for watching and reading this far. I send you a big hello and see you next time.
Amonet.
Separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
[//]:# (!pinmapple 36.72910 lat -4.41276 long Sanctuary Church of La Victoria 📷 Malaga - Spain d3scr)