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The Cultural Heritage Dénia: The Convent de Sant Antoni

November 12 from 2010 - 00: 00

The foundation of the convent of San Antonio de Dénia, dates from the last third of the XVI century. In March 1587, the General Council of the city decided to request the creation of a Franciscan convent. The Marquis de Dénia supported this initiative; It financed its construction and extramural institution provided the income for their livelihood, entrusting the order of Recoletos San Francisco.

The church, as the rest of the monastery complex dependencies were partially destroyed in the War of Succession. After decades of reconstruction work, in 1743, the church was reopened to worship. Ruined again in the French War It was again rebuilt. In the 1936 civil war would lose much of its movable heritage.

While this Franciscan foundation is late sixteenth century, the church would rise years later, following constructive and decorative patterns seventeenth century. The façade has a mixtilíneo, own higher profile than half of the eighteenth century, in the center topped by a flamero.

The cover is Doric, organized based on four pillars covered by a entablamento without architrave in the central part, in the frieze triglifos pilasters and a ledge overhangs. On it a rebanco, and above it, a second body -a penthouse- mode with a avenerada niche that houses a modern image of San Antonio de Padua, head of the convent. The niche is framed with four Doric columns and cornices topped by two ends of curved fronton crowned flameros. At the same side of the door and part of the facade is the tower.

Latin cross, inscribed in a rectangle, with eight side chapels ship covered by vahidas vaults, interconnected by narrow lintel steps. Centered by a large transept vault Vahida which simulates pictorial motifs by one rebajada- and closed by a rectangular transagrario, with the sacristy and a small corridor, which gives access to a second output port, its sides presbytery dome.

The sum is ordered with Doric pilasters on pedestals, with entablature, denticulado only in the part of the cruise and a cornice that marks a shoulder to the height of each pilaster. Part of it barrel vault with lunettes and arches covering the nave and transept.

Both the choir and the facade would rise in the rebuilding of the temple, shortly after the War of Succession. The works should finish by 1747, at the rate of an inscription on the vault of the choir. The rest of the convent, annexed to the church, is the only preserved cloister and part of the facade.

The cloister is the center and axis of the building, attached to the church and the bays of it. The inner exterior facade faculty is entirely covered with masonry. The elevation of the facade of the cloister has two floors. The bottom has four arches framed by Tuscan pilasters. Entablamento presents a frieze decorated with brackets and a ledge projection. Above it is a second body with two rectangular windows separated by pilasters.

The lower floor faculty was covered by edge vault. Likewise, He had a series of frescoes that decorated the lunettes of the vaults of the cloister and representing various passages of the life of San Francisco. The cloister, stylistically, the early 1630-40 is located; desornamentado an interesting example of classicism.


Text: Josep A. Gisbert Santonja. Sant Lluch, 2008.
Photographs: Josep A. Gisbert Santonja

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