A wonderful quant litle village ,we have passed by on our road warrior trails enough to have a couple pictures in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me, I drove once in and really with so much to see will have to come back ,eventually, For now, let me tell you on the Church of San Francisco Javier of Nuevo Baztàn !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The town of Nuevo Baztàn is 63 km from Tarancon, 62 km from Aranjuez, 38 km from Chinchon, and 49 km from Madrid from where we came from along the Retiro park into Calle O’Donnell over the M30 beltway of Madrid continue on the M23 road under the Tunnel of O’Donnell the road becomes the R3 radial road of Madrid to connect with the M300 at the roundabout avenida de Alcalà to bear left onto the M209 road or carretera de Madrid, which crosses over the R3 dir Campo Real and continue same road, becoming Avenida de Arganda and on the roundpoint Glorieta de San Sebastian bear left onto the M220 or Carretera de Loeches, continue to next bend bearing rigtht onto the M219 or Calle de Esparteros passing by Pozuelo del Rey continue right into Plaza de la Iglesia and complex in Nuevo Baztàn
The Church of San Francisco Javier is adjacent to the Goyeneche Palace (see post), both designed by the architect José Benito Churriguera and built between 1709 and 1713. The church is consecrated to Saint Francis Xavier, co-patron saint of Navarra and apostle of the Indies,of Baztan descent, as his mother was from Azpilcueta.. Its main façade consists of a doorway and two towers, 27.5 meters high, flanking each side and twice the height of the palace. The doorway has an entablature structure. It is supported by four columns, between which is a semicircular arch, adorned with Baroque molding. Its most significant ornamental element is the niche where a figure of Saint Francis Xavier is located.
The church was built to give legitimacy to a group of buildings as a town and to make it easier for the newly settled population to attend mass and receive the sacraments. Originally, there was a small chapel inside the palace, but due to the existing population, it became necessary to build an external chapel dedicated to Saint Francis Xavier, once again highlighting his Navarrese roots. The church is therefore very small in appearance, consisting of three naves covered by a barrel vault with lunettes, a well-proportioned transept, and a rectangular presbytery. It was soon overwhelmed by population growth. In this relief the true protagonist is the fact of baptism itself. The allegorical figures of Temperance and Fortitude flank the scene. The only Baroque element of the altarpiece is a gilded stucco curtain framing the entire altarpiece, held together on the sides by tassels and cherubs. This complement to the main altarpiece serves to give the whole a theatrical and scenographic effect, which is lacking in the Baroque period in which it is located.
The interior stands out for its profuse decoration, especially with regard to the altarpiece of the main altar, presided over by the sculpture of Saint Francis Xavier the work of Churriguera himself. At the top, there is a medallion depicting the saint baptizing an unfaithful king, accompanied by two Indians. The choir is connected internally to the palace, allowing the Goyeneche family direct access to the church. The church houses Philippine ivory carvings from Goyeneche’s time, of great artistic quality. The most venerated is that of Cristo del Socorro, who presides over the Via Crucis of the Javierada, organized since 1977 by the Navarrese Commission in Madrid and sponsored by the Royal Congregation of San Fermín de los Navarros. Also worthy of note are a Saint John the Baptist, a Holy Family, and a Virgin and Child. In the church, which is in a very good state of preservation, religious services are held throughout the year, with the main liturgical solemnities being given special attention.
The town of Nuevo Baztàn on its heritage : https://turismo.ayto-nuevobaztan.es/que-visitar/conjunto-historico/
The Madrid tourist office on Nuevo Baztàn : https://www.esmadrid.com/nuevo-baztan
The Community of Madrid region tourist office on Nuevo Baztàn : https://www.visitmadrid.es/en/where-to-go/towns-of-madrid/nuevo-baztan
The Association of the historical heritage of Nuevo Baztàn ; https://www.nuevobaztan.org/00indice.html
The prettiest towns of Spain site on Nuevo Baztàn : https://lospueblosmasbonitosdeespana.org/ficha-pueblo/?id_lugar=120
The Diocese of Alcalà de Henares on the Church San Francisco Javier : https://diocesisdealcala.es/parroquias/nuevo-baztan-parroquia-de-san-francisco-javier/
There you go folks, another gem in my dear Spain, Nuevo Baztàn was a nice ride and great impression, all worth it on my road warrior trails. Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church of San Francisco Javier of Nuevo Baztàn !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 