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Church of Santa María la Real

Aledo, Bajo Guadalentín, Murcia

1 Villages · 5 Monuments · 3 Activities · 2 Curiosities · 3 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Church of Santa María la Real

Monument · Aledo, Bajo Guadalentín, Murcia

The church of Santa María la Real occupies, in the walled historic centre of Aledo, the site of a former single-nave mosque that, after the town's surrender to the Order of Santiago, became a Christian temple. The present building began construction in 1761 and, for lack of funds, was not completed until 1804, thanks to the financial support of the King of Etruria, Charles Louis of Bourbon; it combines features of late Baroque with strong Neoclassical influence. Inside is venerated the image of Santa María la Real, a 16th-century sculpture with clear Gothic influence that gives the church its name, together with the Virgen de la Aurora, made in 1775 by the Murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo.

Photo: sarang (Public domain)

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