A sentimental town of Huete, an area that will remain in my heart. I , of course, know it well, coming here with my family was huge. An opportunity to show them the roots and having just a great time. One of the quant towns we visited in the last several years ,and have other posts but saw these pictures mix in with other posts and they should have a post of their own for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Church Real San Nicolas de Medina of Huete !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Real Iglesia San Nicolàs de Medina or the Royal Church of San Nicolás de Medina is inn Huete, province of Cuenca in the Castilla La Mancha region of the kingdom of Spain, The church is in a Baroque stye built between 1700 and 1703. It was originally part of the old Jesuit college, It is accessible via Calle Guadalupe and located near the Plaza de San Juan.(where we parked!) It follows the Jesuit model featuring a Latin cross floor plan, a hemispherical dome over the crossing, side chapels, and galleries or tribunes that were originally enclosed by lattice screens. A standout feature is the main portal, which incorporates double pilasters and *estípite* columns as well as the royal coat of arms and an inscription commissioned by Carlos (Charles) III following the expulsion of the Jesuits and the relocation of the San Nicolás de Medina parish to this church in 1770.
Upon becoming a parish church, it became known as the Church San Nicolás el Real de Medina. The high altarpiece is dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist, the patron saint of the Atienza neighborhood. It originated in the parish church of Mazarulleque and dates to the mid-18C, as evidenced by its rocaille or shell-work decoration and the unique small escutcheons on the columns. The gilding work is exceptional, featuring stenciled patterns created with punched detailing. The chapels located beside the presbytery are of great value. The chapel on the left, erected by the Brotherhood of the Virgin of Guadalupe around 1770, features an elegant small dome with lunettes and large windows. Its *rocaille* decoration and dynamic entablature recall the Church of San Felipe Neri and its Chapel of the Virgin of Light in Cuenca.
The chapel on the right, built in an academic Baroque style, was erected in 1795 by the Brotherhood of Saint John the Evangelist ;its decoration reflects a stylistic shift. The *rocaille* motifs have disappeared, replaced by clouds of cherubs, relief busts of the four Major Prophets, and elegant frames that once housed a collection of paintings. The chapel was built to house the image of Saint John created in 1792. Although destroyed in 1936,during the Spanish Civil War, the statue was recently reconstructed based on old photographs; restoring the right hand and the original bust, which still retains its small teeth. It is a unique and exceptional depiction of Saint John, combining the writing of the Fourth Gospel with the martyrdom from which he appears to be escaping while riding an eagle. Next to the altar of Saint Anthony the Abbot stands the coat of arms of the Chacón family installed in 1764 ,who were patrons of the Chapel of Saint Parthenius, which occupied this site during the Jesuit era.
The Church Real San Nicolas de Medina ,(from the parish site translated), consists of a five-bay longitudinal nave with side chapels, a transept, and a straight-ended apse; there are side chapels on both sides of the transept. At the foot of the church lies the raised choir, accessed via a staircase in the first bay on the left; the sacristy is located behind the presbytery and is accessed through the chapel on the Epistle side. The longitudinal nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes, resting on cruciform pilasters; the transept is covered by a hemispherical dome on pendentives, featuring four windows, two of which are blind to provide interior lighting. Above the side chapels are spaces originally intended as convent cells, opening into the church interior via galleries. Externally, the west façade is notable for its arrangement of grilled openings at the end of this façade stands the main entrance portal. This consists of a lower section featuring a rectangular lintelled opening framed by curved corner moldings, all set within an order of pilasters and counter-pilasters with *estípite* (tapered, inverted-pyramid) fronts; these support an entablature bearing the inscription “Parroquia Real de San Nicolás de Medina” and, in the center, the coat of arms of King Charles III, topped by a molded cornice. The second section begins with a plinth topped by a molding; aligned with the pilasters below are two pyramidal pinnacles, while the center features a small shrine with a shell-topped niche, framed by pilasters with recessed panels supporting an entablature and a triangular pediment; ball-topped pinnacles are placed atop the pediment, aligned with the pilasters and at the center. On the south wall, which separates the church from the former school building, stands a bell-gable composed of two tiers separated by a rectangular impost course. The first section features two bell openings with slightly projecting semicircular arches; the second section consists of an opening for a smaller bell, also with a semicircular arch, topped by a triangular pediment flanked by ball-topped pinnacles, with a central finial designed to support a cross. Adjoining the church on the north side is the parish house, which likely served as the convent building in the past.
The Huete tourist office on the Church Real San Nicolas : https://www.turismohuete.com/punto-de-interes/iglesia-real-san-nicolas-medina/
The Castilla La Mancha region tourist office on Huete : https://www.turismocastillalamancha.es/es/destinos/encanto-rural/cuenca/huete
There you go folks, another dandy road warrior trip by yours truly, this were memorable trips with the whole family and always looking forward to be back to Huete with the boys and our dog Rex, eventually, This is in country deep Spain and we love it !! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Church Real San Nicolas de Medina of Huete !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 