Church of San Juan Evangelist

About

The church of San Juan Evangelista de Peralta located in Peralta (Navarre, Spain) is a Catholic temple, neoclassical style, built in the first third of the 19th century. The main altarpiece stands out inside, built between 1766 and 1771 and considered one of the most excellent examples of the second half of the 18th century in Navarre, work of the Aragonese sculptor José Ramírez de Arellano, who had participated in the works of the chapel of the Basilica of Pilar in Zaragoza.

At the end of the 16th century, a church dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was built at the foot of the Rock, where the medieval settlement had been established under the protection of the castle. Previously, there were churches, of which there is little information and only unclear archaeological remains.

The church was in a transitional style from Gothic to Renaissance. It had a central nave and two side naves, four pillars defining the naves and supporting the vault, a polygonal apse, and buttresses on the exterior. A plan drawn up in 1666 for the construction of the sacristy provides an idea of its layout.

In the 18th century, the Baroque tower was built and remains well restored today. By the end of the 18th century, the church, damaged by the earthworks on the hillside, was in ruins, so it was decided to build a new one on the plain, on Calle Mayor, which offered a safer and more accessible location for the local residents. The altarpieces and other furnishings from the old parish church were used for the new church. While the new church was being built, worship was held in the chapel of the Capuchin convent.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the current parish church was built, which like its predecessor was dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist. Thus, between 1826 and 1833, in accordance with the project of the architect Manuel Ángel Chávarri, who lived in Vitoria, a large temple was built in the neoclassical style, which was the prevailing style in religious and civil architecture of that time.

The façade is of the purest classicism. It has two sections: the lower one, made of ashlar stone, leads from a small staircase to a large, lintelled doorway with two large, set-back Tuscan columns supporting the entablature, which is emphasized only by a sober cornice. The weak foundation of the building, due to the failure of the foundations, is evident in the shifting of the central ashlars.

The large door leads to a small portico with two small side doors that allow access to the temple; the large central door is used for solemn ceremonies, such as processions.

In the second, upper body, made of plastered brick, there is only a semicircular arched window - a thermal window -, similar to those on the side facades.

The ensemble is completed by a triangular pediment with an oculus for the clock.

Architect Chávarri's project included two bell towers flanking the façade, thus giving it greater width. They could not be built at the time—it should be remembered that this coincided with the beginning of the First Carlist War —and were finally erected in 2002, in accordance with the original design.

The neoclassical austerity that prevails on the façade explains why there are no figurative ornamental motifs anywhere, nor, of course, sculptures.

The façade door leads into an atrium or vestibule; here, the large central door is used for solemn ceremonies, and the two smaller side doors are for the faithful. These doors lead into a small space that ultimately leads to the central nave. The left door also leads to the choir staircase, and the right door leads to the baptismal chapel. Its location is reminiscent of the original baptistery, which stood outside the church and was accessible only to those already baptized.

The building is spacious, with a wide central nave measuring 40 metres and two very narrow side naves, which seem to be designed more as corridors; in total it is 18 metres wide. On each side, the naves are defined by two large Tuscan columns, polychromed to resemble marble.

To properly accommodate the main altarpiece of the old parish church, a polygonal apse was designed instead of the semicircular one inspired by classical architecture. It is preceded by a large semicircular arch with coffered ceilings, in the Roman style, while the apse is closed off with a quarter-sphere vault. The four lintelled windows located at the head of the church were opened around 2000.

In the transept there is a lowered dome supported by pendentives.

Lighting comes from semicircular windows – “thermal windows” – in the classical style, which open into the façade and side walls.

A cornice runs along the temple and defines the lower part of the upper part, where the windows are located. The text that runs along the cornice is modern and comes from the Gospel of St. John.

The sacristy is located at the head of the church, on the Gospel side, to the visitor's left. Like the rest of the building, it is neoclassical in style; it has a square floor plan and is covered by a dome.

The main altarpiece, built between 1766 and 1771—as already mentioned, it came from the previous parish church—is the work of the renowned Aragonese sculptor José Ramírez de Arellano, who, among other notable works, had participated in the construction of the chapel of the Basilica of El Pilar in Zaragoza. García Gainza considers this altarpiece to be "one of the most excellent examples of the second half of the 18th century in Navarre."

It is designed to highlight the miraculously thwarted martyrdom of the temple's patron saint, as shown in the large high relief in the center of the altarpiece. To focus attention on this point, eight large columns, along with the entablature and split pediment that crown it, have been arranged in converging perspective. In front of the columns are the round sculptures of Saint Andrew, Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint James.The objects that identify them—cross, keys, etc.—were added later. Los objetos que los identifican -cruz, llaves, etc.- son añadidos posteriores.