Church of San Juan Bautista, Arico, Villa de Arico
The Church of San Juan Bautista is a Baroque structure in Arico on the island of Tenerife, Spain. It features a single main nave with two smaller chapels on each side forming a Latin cross shape, while the ceiling is adorned with carved, grooved wooden panels.
The church traces back to a small chapel founded in the late 1500s by Captain Juan González Gómez. The current building was primarily constructed in the middle of the 1700s and has been officially recognized as a protected cultural monument since 2005.
The church takes its name from Saint John the Baptist, the town's patron saint. Locals regularly visit for religious festivals and special occasions, gathering to pray and participate in processions that remain deeply rooted in community traditions.
The church sits in the heart of Villa de Arico and is easy to reach; a small courtyard nearby offers a peaceful spot to view the structure from outside. Visitors should wear respectful clothing and be aware that prayer times and religious festivals may affect visiting conditions.
A sculpture of the Virgen de Abona, protector of southern Tenerife, was found on a beach in 1722 and is now one of the church's most treasured possessions. This remarkable discovery later drew many pilgrims and made the church an important pilgrimage site in the region.
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