Basílica de Santa María

The Basílica de Santa María is Alicante's oldest church, set on a quiet square in the oldest part of town. It was built in the Valencian Gothic style between the 14th and 16th centuries on the site of a former mosque. The plain exterior is fronted by a Baroque doorway, while inside stands a gilded Rococo high altar.

The Basílica de Santa María is the oldest church in Alicante, built in the Valencian Gothic style between the 14th and 16th centuries on the site of the town's former main mosque. In 1248 King Alfonso X the Wise had it purified, and it was dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. The church was altered many times, and the most important works followed a fire in 1484. It has a single nave with side chapels between the buttresses and a polygonal apse. Two different towers frame the façade: the L-shaped one on the right dates from the 14th century, while the rectangular one on the left was added in 1713. The austere building is fronted by a Baroque doorway with a statue of the Virgin, its sculptures the work of Juan Bautista Borja. The richly decorated interior is centred on an 18th-century gilded Rococo high altar. Also worth a look are the 15th-century Gothic choir, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception with a statue by Esteban Bonet, and the baptismal chapel with its 16th-century Italian font of white Carrara marble. From 1936 to 1939 the church was used as a military store, and during the Civil War its organ, among other things, was destroyed. In 2007, following a request from the city council to the Holy See, it was raised to the rank of basilica. Visitors mention the calm atmosphere inside, and one review lists Gothic walls and windows, a Renaissance dome and Baroque paintings and sculptures. One visitor recommends the guided tour, and another describes a spiral staircase leading all the way up to the bells, with views over the city. According to one review, you should allow at least 45 minutes for the full visit including the bell tower. The church stands on Plaza de Santa María in the old town, opposite the MACA contemporary art museum. The museum occupies, among other spaces, the Baroque Casa de la Asegurada of 1685, so both are easy to combine in one walk.