by Juliana Ferrie
Down a narrow cobblestone street, an alleyway leads to a quaint, almost hidden entrance. Through its doors, the “Sistine Chapel of Valencia” sits waiting for worshippers and visitors alike.
While many know it by this nickname, the religious site’s true title is Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, located in Valencia, Spain. It is one of many churches throughout the city housing stunning artwork with religious and historical significance. The Valencia Cathedral also draws visitors to see its beautiful paintings and architecture.
Specifically, the frescoes — wall paintings on plaster — of both the church and cathedral are renowned worldwide. While the Sistine Chapel of Valencia’s frescoes adorn the entire ceiling, the Valencia Cathedral’s most popular work is painted in the apse above the altar.
Beyond these intricate wall paintings, each location also displays thought-provoking works from different time periods and styles within their chapels, as well as Valencia Cathedral’s museum.
Fresco history within the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir
After entering the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, a silence thick with adoration and reverence falls over its visitors. Immediately, eyes are drawn upward to the colorful frescoes adorning the ceiling, which depict the lives of both St. Nicholas of Bari and St. Peter Martyr.
However, these paintings have not always been there. In reality, none of the original church remains today. Although first built around 1242, the site as it exists now began taking shape in the 15th century.
Led by the Borja family, the church’s renovation fashioned the site into their Gothic vision. It underwent these architectural renovations during this time, and in the 17th century, the frescoes illustrating stories of St. Nicholas of Bari and St. Peter Martyr were designed by Antonio Palomino and painted by Dionis Vidal.
Born in 1655, Palomino was a painter from Bujalance known for his skills in fresco painting. He created works in the baroque style, and the frescoes of the church are no different.
Baroque art has specific qualities aiming to appeal to the senses. Specifically, drama, movement, grandeur and “emotional exuberance,” among other things, are illustrated in this artwork style, according to Britannica.
Palomino’s vision was executed in the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir by Vidal, who was a Valencian painter and a mentee of Palomino. Next to a vibrant Gothic rose window, visitors can see where Vidal painted himself and Palomino within the colorful frescoes.
To the left of the rose Gothic window, church visitors can see Dionis Vidal's self-portrait depicting himself and his mentor, Antonio Palomino. It may be difficult to spot in the first photo, but the second is a close-up of the painting. However, despite working together, Palomino did not include Vidal in the pictorial parnassus, which affected Vidal's status drastically. Photos by Juliana Ferrie
Starting in 2012, the church began to be restored under the leadership of professor Pilar Roig — a researcher at the Restoration Institute of the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia. In addition, Gianluigi Colaluci — who restored the Sistine Chapel — played a part in this undertaking.
By 2016, the church’s frescoes had regained their former glory. New paintings were discovered during the process, including the previously mentioned self-portrait of Vidal.
However, throughout the years and renovations, the church has always remained dedicated to St. Nicholas. It earned its second namesake — St. Peter Martyr — because the church once received the esteemed saint as a visitor during its extensive history, according to the religious site’s audio guide.
Diving into the church’s art
Looking up at the church’s ceilings, serene angels meet your gaze. Four of these celestial beings can be seen per section of vaulting, illustrating the nine orders comprising the hierarchy of angels, according to the audio guide.
The orders are the following: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels and guardian angels.
However, a main role of the church’s ceiling is to tell the stories of St. Nicholas of Bari and St. Peter Martyr.
The story told by one fresco particularly stands out. Guarded by an archangel on each side, three sisters attract your gaze in a striking scene. To the right, St. Nicholas can be seen passing a bag of gold to one of the women through a window.
The two other women also each hold a bag of gold, wondering where it came from. These gifts given by St. Nicholas ensured the women would not be sold as prostitutes by their father to save the family from poverty, according to the audio guide.
While the original story occurred under almost unimaginable circumstances, it began the tradition of giving gifts to children on St. Nicholas Day.
In another ceiling painting, visitors see the emotion of the baroque style in a scene depicting St. Peter Martyr’s death. While traveling to Milan, he was killed by three assassins, according to the church’s audio guide. The image shows his killer mere moments before bringing a sword down upon the saint’s head.
The feeling of suspense captured in the painting is captivating to the viewer, leaving them to ponder St. Peter Martyr’s fate. The moment is forever frozen in the frescoes of the church.
“Fidelis, et constans,” the fresco’s inscription describing the saint reads, meaning “Faithful and constant.”
While the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir contain many other memorable works, one tempera painting of the Virgin Mary is particularly moving.
Located in the Chapel of San Dionisio, a painting of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is on display. In the painting, a young Jesus holds Mary’s hands tightly as he receives visions of the Passion, which he will endure later in life.
The painting of Mary reflects her emotions as she accepts Jesus’ fate. The life-like eyes of the virgin convey the sadness she felt as Jesus' mother, which her calm facial expression otherwise hides. The sentiment illustrated in the painting is gut-wrenching and moving, bringing tears to one’s eyes.
History of the Valencia Cathedral's art
Compared to the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, the Valencia Cathedral is hard to miss. Dozens of tourists line up to pay the entrance fee for the cathedral, which is located in the center of Valencia’s old town — known as El Carmen.
Construction of the massive cathedral began in 1262 and was placed over a former Visigothic cathedral. It is home to many notable pieces of artwork, especially in its museum, that belong to different time periods and styles. The cathedral's most well-known pieces are the frescoes within the altar’s apse, a semicircular recess in the domed roof.
When visitors look toward the heavens, they’ll see a series of vibrant, delicate angels residing over the ornate altar. These frescoes were rediscovered in 2004 during the altar’s restoration. The images had been covered up with a false ceiling since 1674.
During the 15th century, Valencian Bishop Rodrigo Borja wanted the Valencia Cathedral to reflect the Renaissance art movement developing in Italy. He commissioned Pablo de San Leocadio and Francesco Pagano — both painters — to create the frescoes of angels in the cathedral.
Framed by gold ornamentation, the angels are musical, playing instruments such as the harp and the trumpet, according to the cathedral’s audio guide.
Ava Jafar, a 21-year-old University of Florida public relations and economics student who traveled to Spain for the day, said she visited the Valencia Cathedral because she had never been to this type of church before.
Looking at the art in the cathedral, Jafar said the contrast of the gold ornamentation and the stone surrounding the colorful frescoes stood out to her specifically.
“You never see something like this,” she said. “The colors are all just so cool.”
Even though she is not religious, Jafar said the cathedral wowed her.
Gaby Glazer, Jafar’s friend and travel companion, said while growing up, her parents often brought her to cathedrals because of their Catholic background. She came to the Valencia Cathedral hoping to light a candle.
“It’s so intricate, and I feel like the details are so precise,” Glazer, a 21-year-old health science student at the University of South Florida, said. “It’s insane how much time it probably took to create.”
While the architecture is most striking to Glazer, she said she has a historical perspective on the artwork.
“The history of it all is insane,” she said.
Whether motivated by religion or a love of art, visiting the frescoes within the Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir, as well as the Valencia Cathedral, will give you a glimpse into the saints' stories and those of the artists who immortalized them.
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