Monastery of the Holy Face (Alicante)
The Monastery of the Holy Face, also called “La Verónica,” belongs to the order of the Lateran Canon Regular nuns of Saint Augustine. The name of the monastery stems from the fact that the Holy Face of Alicante is treasured inside. According to tradition, this is one of the folds with which a disciple of Christ named Verónica wiped the face of Christ during his ascent to Calvary.
Its construction is uncertain because there is no official documentation, but historians believe that it might be dated between 1557 and 1584.
The architectural ensemble of the monastery includes the main church, the construction attached to one of its side towers and the rest of the buildings within its enclosure, all of which is the product of a long sequence of reforms, inclusions and additions over the centuries, especially during the 18th century, when it stood out for its current Baroque style.
It is worth noting the altarpiece of the main altar, with a neo-Baroque style. After the Spanish Civil War, it underwent an important restoration at the hands of the famous architect Juan Vidal Ramos.
Of the entire architectural complex, the tower is the only aspect that exists from the original 16th-century building. It has three levels with an accessible terrace, but with a blinded basement. Its volume is truncated pyramidal, and it has a rectangular plan raised on a pyramidal plinth.
Although it is still standing, the tower underwent certain changes due, in part, to its defensive design, which includes machicolations to the north and south and embrasures to the north and east.
Its construction is uncertain because there is no official documentation, but historians believe that it might be dated between 1557 and 1584.
The architectural ensemble of the monastery includes the main church, the construction attached to one of its side towers and the rest of the buildings within its enclosure, all of which is the product of a long sequence of reforms, inclusions and additions over the centuries, especially during the 18th century, when it stood out for its current Baroque style.
It is worth noting the altarpiece of the main altar, with a neo-Baroque style. After the Spanish Civil War, it underwent an important restoration at the hands of the famous architect Juan Vidal Ramos.
Of the entire architectural complex, the tower is the only aspect that exists from the original 16th-century building. It has three levels with an accessible terrace, but with a blinded basement. Its volume is truncated pyramidal, and it has a rectangular plan raised on a pyramidal plinth.
Although it is still standing, the tower underwent certain changes due, in part, to its defensive design, which includes machicolations to the north and south and embrasures to the north and east.
Location
What to see in Alicante
