Church of Saint Philip Neri, Baroque church in Gothic Quarter, Spain.
The Church of Saint Philip Neri is a Baroque church on Plaça de Sant Felip Neri in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, built between 1721 and 1752 by architect Pere Bertran with sculptor Pere Costa. Its pale tan ashlar facade has a projecting central bay with a columned doorway under a curved broken pediment, a carved round window and a large circular opening above; the lower stones still show shrapnel scars. Inside, a single nave with side chapels leads to a transept under a dome and a semicircular apse, where a dark gilded multi-tiered altarpiece with a painted oval stands.
The building was damaged during the Spanish Civil War in 1938 by air raids, with scars remaining visible on the facade. A bomb shelter beneath the church was destroyed, leaving marks of the conflict on the structure above.
The interior displays multiple altars in Baroque and Neoclassical styles crafted by local artists including Ignasi Vergara and Ramon Amadeu. Paintings by Joan Llimona adorn the walls, reflecting the artistic traditions of the region.
The church is situated next to an active school in the Gothic Quarter, so visitors should be mindful of school activities and schedules. The nearest metro stations are Liceu and Jaume I, both within walking distance of the building.
The pockmarks on the lower facade are shrapnel scars from the Francoist air raid of 30 January 1938, not from later executions as a local legend claims; photographs taken just after the bombing already show the marks.
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