Church Sant Joan Baptista (Mallorca)

Church Sant Joan Baptista

Example of religious architecture within an extraordinary landscape
Church Sant Joan Baptista

Example of religious architecture within an extraordinary landscape
Church Sant Joan Baptista

Example of religious architecture within an extraordinary landscape

Church Sant Joan Baptista

The San Juan Bautista parish church is a single-nave, barrel-vaulted structure. It dates back from the 14th century, but had to be rebuilt in the 18th century after it was ravaged by a fire. It is flanked by a defence tower that has been used as a belfry since the 16th century. It is important to note the landscape and popular architecture on the path up to the church, at the top of the Deià mountain.

The Deià parish church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, was built in the 14^th century. It has a single square nave flanked by a defence tower that has been used as a belfry since the 16^th century. It was rebuilt (1754-1760) after it was ravaged by a fire (1752). The stone altar and the current chancel are from 1958. The church has two entrances, the large portal or women’s portal and the side portal, or men’s portal. The latter is the usual entrance to the building.

The inside is simple. The central nave has a barrel vault and four side chapels separated by ionic pillars, including the Blood Chapel, with a 1625 figure of Christ and a Virgin of Lluc. The San Sebastiá chapel houses a Gothic carving of Saint Onuphrius that was salvaged from the fire. The altarpiece of the high altar was made by Josep Sastre (1777) in Renaissance style.

The path up to the church is especially interesting because of the spectacular landscape, flanked by the stations of the cross marked with paving stones, as well as a set of structures built following the typical popular architecture of the mountain.