Church of Saint James and Saint Anne, Neoclassical parish church in Benidorm, Spain.
The church of Saint James and Saint Anne is a neoclassical parish church on Canfali Hill in the old town of Benidorm, Spain. It has a Latin-cross plan with a central nave and small side chapels, and a half-orange dome without a drum resting directly on pendentives decorated with the four Evangelists. The whitewashed exterior has ochre cornices and mouldings, a curved pediment over the main door, and a two-stage bell tower to the right of the facade. The crossing dome and the dome of the Virgin of Suffrage chapel are covered in blue glazed tiles.
The church was built in the 18th century as the main place of worship for the growing community of Benidorm. Over time it became the heart of daily life in the old town, a role it still holds today.
Inside the church stands the statue of the Virgen del Sufragio, linked to a wooden sculpture that washed ashore on a drifting boat near Benidorm's coast. This figure draws local worshippers and remains a living center of devotion that visitors can observe during religious celebrations.
The church is reached by walking through the narrow lanes of Benidorm's old town, and the final stretch up the hill is short but steep, so sturdy shoes are a good idea. The views from the hilltop over both bays are visible from outside even when the church itself is closed.
The church stands almost free on three sides, opening onto three squares: the Plaza de San Jaime, where the main doorway faces inland, and the Plaza del Castellet and Plaza de la Señoría, both bordering the sea. The tower was raised between 1807 and 1812, decades after the main building.
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