Church of Saint Sebastian, València, Catholic parish church on Carrer de Quart, Valencia, Spain
The Church of Saint Sebastian, also called San Miguel y San Sebastián, stands at Calle Quart 97 facing the Botanical Garden. It is a single-nave Latin-cross church with intercommunicating side chapels, a barrel vault with lunettes, and a dome on an octagonal drum covered in blue glazed tiles. Its facade mixes Baroque and classicist elements, and the bell tower dates from 1906.
The present church was begun on 7 September 1726 to plans by José de Cardona y Pertusa and finished on 29 September 1739, paid for by alms and pious works. Master builder José Padilla died in 1728 and his relative Jaime Padilla took over most of the construction. The adjoining convent was demolished after the Mendizabal confiscation, but the church was saved by an 1844 report of the Academia de San Carlos and became a parish in 1902.
The parish takes its double title from two older congregations: San Miguel, founded after James I's 13th-century conquest of Valencia, and San Sebastián. Since 1902 the church has borne both names, and the chapel of San Francisco de Paula keeps a 16th-century panel by Vicente Macip.
The main entrance is located at Quart Street 97 and is easy to find in the neighborhood. Regular services take place throughout the week, so checking ahead helps you plan your visit appropriately.
The bell tower standing today was designed by Carlos Carbonell in a 1906 Modernista project, moderated during construction; it replaced an earlier tower on the same spot. Cardona's original 18th-century tower was to be built of cut stone at the opposite end of the facade, but work was abandoned after starting because of the cost.
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