Parish Church of San Pedro Apostle 📷 Malaga - Spain

The parish church of San Pedro Apostle has been declared a monument since 2005 and for this reason it has been declared a site of cultural interest. It is located in the old quarter of El Perchel and its construction began in a very primitive form at the beginning of the 17th century.

In the first instance this parish was created as an auxiliary, in times of emergency, as a neighbouring parish to the parish of San Juan. Construction began in 1630 but was never completed and the project was abandoned.

A building with three naves had been planned, but only one was built and it was completed in 1659. Its style was to mix classical and renaissance elements. But when the construction was abandoned, many elements of the building were simplified, including the tower, which was later replaced by another one.

By the end of the 17th century the parish was in a very bad state and needed a thorough restoration. For this reason, all the activities that took place there were transferred to the parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen for many years.

Then in the 18th century the chapel of the tabernacle was built in the baroque style, with exquisite decoration and ornamentation, especially in plaster and many paintings by the painter Diego de la Cerda.

In 1931 many churches were devastated by fire, burnt down, but in the case of the parish church of San Pedro it was not entirely destroyed. But it was in a state of ruin. For this reason it was decided to rebuild it and the architect Enrique Atencia presented a project for this reason.

For this restoration, the initial idea and style was maintained, but chapels were added to house the images that correspond to the brotherhood of the Cristo de la Expiración (Christ of the Expiration).

Today we can see a sober building, but with monumental forms, although at the same time its façade is simple, where reddish stone can be seen standing out against the wall, which is on the main façade, at the foot of the old doorway.

The entrance doorway is neoclassical in style and we can enter the chapel of Christ.

As for the exterior, I would like to highlight the bell tower, in the shape of a quadrangular prism, which is beautiful from any angle you look at it.

As the parish church is located in a place where there are no other buildings nearby, I was able to go all around it to take various photographs.

Only part of the church is currently under repair and there is a small car park next to it, but this did not prevent me from walking around it.

The images of the Cristo de la Expiración and the Virgen de los Dolores are very popular with the people of Malaga.

Although it still has only one nave, its decoration and the details that have been added in the restoration are very beautiful. Wooden details such as the main ceiling. It has a lot of simplicity, but it is equally beautiful.

On the left side, three chapels can be seen. The first one corresponds to the Christ of the Expiration and is really amazing. It can be accessed through an exterior door that is next to the main one and so you can admire the beauty of the interior as well as the images up close.

Next, there is the chapel of the Virgen de los Dolores, very finely decorated, where you can see, on one of the walls, different commemorative plaques and next to the Virgin some lamps with a very peculiar style.

Both chapels were made by Enrique Atencia in 1943 and are beautifully decorated with different compositions on the Passion of Christ by Wenceslao Chamorro in 1951.

The ceilings of both chapels stand out for their beauty, worthy of admiration and appreciation.

The third chapel is the one dedicated to the Tabernacle, built in the 18th century, with a hexagonal floor plan and Marian-style paintings on the dome.

If we look at the other side we can see the circular baptismal font, which was carved in the same century and made of limestone. Above it, the following inscription can be read on the wall: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".

In 1950 this parish was entrusted to the Claretian Fathers, who in turn are in charge of other parishes, such as that of Carmen. Then in 1981 it returned to the diocesan priests.

During 2011 a lot of work was carried out on the church, which meant a major refurbishment of the church and its outbuildings.

Despite this remodelling, the parish church still consists of a single nave with very high walls topped with a Mudejar-style vault.

On the occasion of these festivities, in the chapel of Christ, I came across a model of the birth of Jesus, with many figures, which I was delighted to observe and admire.

Visiting hours are in the afternoons from 18 to 19 hs. Afterwards, mass is held. For this reason I went twice, once to photograph the exterior and once the interior. When I left it was night and I was able to take some wonderful pictures of the church.

It is a church that stands out for its simplicity, both on the outside and inside, but it is a pleasure to visit for its age and history.

Thank you all for watching and reading this far, best regards and see you next time.
Amonet.

_{All photographs are my own.
Separators created by me in Photoshop.
Used translator Deepl.com free version.
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