Iglesia y Convento del Carmen - The Carmen Church and Convent
The Carmen Church and Convent - Sight-seeing in Valencia, Spain
Iglesia y Convento del Carmen
The
Church and Convent of Carmen is a rare find in the centre of Valencia.
It doesn't have a huge tourist status, it is unreformed and hidden away,
which makes it spectacularly atmospheric, desolate and authentic. In front
of a quiet square, it towers over you, breathing with antiquity. The spectacular
and enormous church facade is a gorgeous Baroque with a Classical core
and scarred with centuries. The huge bell tower must be one of the highest
ancient buildings in Valencia. Many famous Spanish artists worked on this
building throughout its history. There are also two cloisters inside -
one Gothic and one Rennaisance. Just as desolate, and sometimes invaded
by growth, they invite you to wonder amongst the sun-lit arches. Add to
it the fact that the Carmen square is one of the oldest parts of the city,
a part that has seen the Visigoths and Muslims, and you get the whole
experience. You will get a feeling that time has stopped here. The Carmen
complex is one of the most impressive religious buildings in Valencia
and will stun even someone who is indifferent to religious architecture.
History: the church was built in 1281 for the Order of
Carmelites who gained power after the death of King Jaime. The Gothic
cloister was added in XV century, and the Rennaisance one in XVI. The
church facade was created in two phases - first the core by a XVII architect
Sant Marti, a fairly classical and solemn artist, and then the core was
surrounded by a more lush XVII century Baroque. The Carmelites were expelled
in XIX century. Now the church is still active and the convent is used
for Museo del Carmen
- an art exhibition venue.
SERVICES
printout in Spanish on
the history of the church and convent
Religious service in the church: mass at 9.30 and 19.30-20.00 every day,
on Sun it is 10.00, 12.00 and 23-24.00. July to September there is no
mass in the mornings on weekdays and no mass at night on Sundays. Confessions
Tue-Thu 6pm - 7.30
Paginas
Amarillas
Pz del Carmen
Carmen
96 315 20 24
(access to convent)
Tue-Sun 10am-8pm
Mondays closed
Access to church: during religious service only
free entry
Languages
Signs / Content:
none
Brochures:
none
Guides:
none
Map
of Central Sights
Map of Central Walks
