August 29 and 30 Guided tours of the Iglesia Vieja in Yecla

The old church of Yecla, known for its iconic tower, is to be converted into a cultural venue

The Iglesia de la Asunción, more usually known in Yecla as the Iglesia Vieja (the old church, since before the construction of the Basilica in 1868 it was the most important religious building in the town) is due to undergo a renovation and interior transformation process beginning in September this year, and to give both locals and visitors a last chance to see the building in its religious format a series of four 90-minute guided tours is being held on 29^th and 30^th August.

These tours begin at 18.30 and 20.15 on Friday 29^th August and at 10.00 and 11.45 the following day, with registration already available online here for the Friday and here for the Saturday.

Work first started on this Gothic/Renaissance-style building, which is located between the Town hall and the Santuario del Castillo in the higher part of Yecla, in 1508 and it was completed in 1540, after which more was added in various stages. The first of these stages included the central part of the building and the base of the main tower – this is unusual, because during the Middle Ages and Early modern period it was customary to build the “business end” of churches first, creating space for the altar so that services could be conducted. After 1540 came the apse and the rest of the tower, while the choir was created later in the 16^th century and the sacristy appears to have been added later still.

Unfortunately the Iglesia Vieja was one of the victims of the Spanish Civil War, and was burnt and ransacked in 1936. The losses included the magnificent Renaissance altar screen, the archives, the sculptures and paintings and the “lignum crucis” (or fragment of the Cross on which Jesus was crucified) and not until 1986 was the first restoration work undertaken.

One of the most interesting features is the decoration of the tower, where on the upper levels there are sculpted representations of the different social strata in the still largely feudal society of Spain in the 16^th century: on the northern side seven knights, on the south are four heads (three men and a lion), on the eastern side are the faces of two women, possibly the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, while on the west are figures representing the clergy.

At the top of the tower a large iron ball is suspended: during the years of neglect after the Civil War this fell into the nave and through it to the crypt, but it has been returned to its original location as part of the restoration.

Further information is available from the tourist office of Yecla (email turismo@yecla.es) or, for more visiting information in English, go to the home page of Yecla Today.