Church of Our Lady of Expectation

Description

In 1587 the works began; although they would slowly advance until 1637, the year from which the rapid devotion that he raised in the town, the canvas of the Most Holy Christ of Burgos, encouraged the then prior of the parish, Dr. Francisco Palomino of Ledesma, to promote a project of greater magnitude.

The canvas, owned by D. Jerónimo de Sanvitores and de la Portilla, accidentally arrives in this villa after being named, this noble burgalés, corridor of Guadix. It was a copy of the Christ of Burgos, which was sold today in the cathedral of that city. The story of a series of miraculous events, spread through Eastern Andalusia, and once the canvas is donated to this parish, there will be many pilgrims who approach it, generating a high number of donations that, well managed, accelerated the pace of construction.

The process of building and furnishing the temple is very wide, not ending until the beginning of the 19th century with the construction of the sacristy. The works began at the feet; thus, already advanced in the 17th century, the main facade and the first two bodies of the tower, the choir and the first two lateral chapels had been raised. In the 18th century, the header (where the altar is located), the bell body and the two remaining side chapels are erected. For Lázaro Gila Medina, to which we follow in this text, we are facing an interesting example of the Andalusian baroque, although in some specific details, the neoclasicism abounds.

The plant is a Latin cross inscribed in a rectangle, called "drawer," which is typical of the baroque. He rose up under the title of the Expectation of Mary, and since 1637 he was also a sanctuary of the Holy Christ of Burgos. Throughout the 20th century he suffered the loss of many of his movable goods, much of the paintings and the altarpieces of the side chapels, which are not preserved. However, the church was declared a historical - artistic monument of a national character (Real. D. 3306 / 1981); today, Good of Cultural Interest. The documentation of the parish archive, since the same 16th century, has been kept in full.