Iglesia de San Pablo

The Iglesia de San Pablo in Valladolid is renowned above all for its façade, one of the most richly carved in Spain, on the Plaza de San Pablo in the historic centre. The church belongs to a Dominican convent that was founded in the thirteenth century, with the support of Queen Violante, the wife of King Alfonso X, and it grew into one of the most important religious houses in Castile. The present church was rebuilt in the fifteenth century in the late Gothic style with the support of Cardinal Juan de Torquemada, a Dominican who had been abbot here, and its front was completed by Simón de Colonia, one of the leading architects of the period.

The façade is a stone screen, covered from top to bottom with sculpture in the style known as Isabelline, the late Gothic of the age of Isabella the Catholic, with Flemish influences. The portal is framed by deeply carved arches, saints, coats of arms, pinnacles and floral motifs, and the effect is almost like an enormous altarpiece turned inside out and set on the street. Above, the upper part of the front was changed in the early seventeenth century by the Duke of Lerma, the powerful favourite of Philip III, who supported the convent and transformed the surroundings during the period when Valladolid was the capital of the kingdom. This addition gives the front a mix of styles that is a record of its long history.

The interior is a single wide nave, with chapels along the sides and a high vault, and the walls hold altarpieces, tombs and paintings from different periods. The building has been restored many times, and the sober inside contrasts with the lavish exterior. The church is also associated with the sculptor Gregorio Fernández, the great master of Baroque religious sculpture in Valladolid, who worked for the Dominican community, although his most famous works are in the nearby National Museum of Sculpture. Ask locally about the pieces that are on view.

The plaza itself is one of the main squares of the city. The Palacio de Pimentel, where Philip II was born, and the former Royal Palace face the church, and the Colegio de San Gregorio, home of the National Museum of Sculpture, lies a short walk away. The Casa de Colón, the Iglesia de Santa María la Antigua, the Mercado del Val and the Teatro Calderón are other places to visit in the old town.

It suits architecture and art lovers, and the façade alone is worth a visit, best seen in the afternoon light. As a working church, it has services during which visits are not appropriate, and access varies, so check with the tourist office.