The Church of The Virgin of Carmen

The church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen was once a shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph, rebuilt in the eighteenth century by Remigio del Mármol, in a style which marks a movement away from baroque, towards neoclassical. It has a single nave, with an arched roof in three sections, surmounted by a segmented cupola resting on corner supports with inset windows.
The altarpiece is by Juan de Dios Santaella: the base is mounted on a plinth, and the main body is in a single piece, with columns framing the chapel of the Virgin – a work by Granadan craftsmen. The chapel itself, a typically neoclassical design, is by Remigio del Mármol. It is flanked by Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, the parents of Mary, and above is the figure of Saint Joseph.
The sacristy, which today is joined to the main body of the church, in the form of a chapel, was completed before the church itself. It is of baroque design and rectangular in shape, with a segmented roof leading up to a skylight – all supported by typical Corinthian columns.
The doorway by Remigio del Mármol is completely neoclassical: it is formed in two parts, the lower with Doric columns, and the upper with Corinthian columns framing a bas-relief of the Virgen del Carmen. Above this, is a tower crowned by a cupola with the statue of the prophet Elijah, surrounded by four figures from the Old Testament. The church has been declared a national monument