Archpriest church of the Assumption

Valencian Gothic, 16th - 17th centuries (1582-1667) - Historic national monument

The church as a whole has a functional military-esque plan, since Vinaròs lacked a castle or fortress to protect the city. In fact, the building performed defensive functions during the expulsion of the Moors during the reign of Philip IV, as protection against Turkish pirates and privateers during the Carlist Wars, and during the last quarter of the 19th century, when the church was turned into barracks on the orders of General Jovellar.

Therefore, the building unites religious and defensive functions and retains the traits of Mediterranean fortress temples: a solid tower, a parapet walk on the upper part, a rampart over corridors, angled walls, walls with embrasures and loopholes, and other features. The church, the work of the French masters J. Triafont and M. Valganol, consists of a central nave and chapels on the sides between the buttresses. The paintings on its external walls depicting architecture also stand out as the only ones of this size in the Valencian Community.

Plaza parroquial · C/ Sant Cristòfol · Tel. +34 964 451 933

Hours: every day from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Baroque Portal, 17th - 18th century (1698-1702)

The portal is an altarpiece made up of two bodies, made by J.B. Vinyes and B. Mir: the one has a more solid base, and the one above, which is more slender, is topped by a cornice. The foundation stone comes from the local quarries of the Sierra del Puig, the black stone from Chilches, and the white stone from the deposits found between Vinebre and Ascó. Of note are two pairs of Solomonic columns topped with Corinthian capitals and the emblem of the Virgin enveloped by angels and floral motifs.

Plateresque portal, 16th century (1560)

This is the sole remaining vestige of the old church. The portal consists of two attached pilasters that stand over two-thirds of the wall, with a rectangular end and a completely smooth semicircular arch. Each voussoir of the arch is decorated with a cherub. The portal is topped by a niche with the image of Our Lady of the Assumption, a work by the Vinaròs sculptor A. Serrano. The set is finished off by cherubs that carry the emblem of the Assumption, along with the construction date and the inscription “Veni Coronaberis”. Also of note are the two medallions with the faces of Saint Peter and Saint Paul looking inwards.

 Bell Tower, 16th - 17th century

With a quadrangular base, this tower is approximately 33 metres tall. Thanks to its purely military architecture, this robust and solid tower features walls approximately 170 cm thick. The tower has four floors inside: The first floor holds the jail, popularly known as “the kennel”, while the second holds the machinery for the clock. The third floor is an open plan, and the fourth is the bell room. The bells were also used as a defensive element, particularly in the case of attacks by pirates and privateers, when they performed the popularly called toque a moro, ringing the bells to alert the locals of an imminent attack. The spiral staircase inside and the vaulted ceilings from the various rooms also stand out.

Communion Chapel, 17th and 18th centuries

Attached to the church and with a small passage between the two inside, this chapel was built in two phases. The work for the first phase, which took place between 1657 and 1667, was carried out by J. Ibáñez. The second phase, designed by the Vinaròs architect Pere Gonell, was finished in 1794. The Baroque lintel fitted with voussoirs that gives access to the chapel is the work of A. Ximbó and features two pilasters that hold together a court wall divided in two, decorated with balls and diamond-shaped points on the sides, which houses the Eucharistic emblem. Inside you can see interesting multi-coloured stucco works (1768) that are attributed to J. Esteve Bonet. The reliefs, cornices, and gilded elements that decorate the interior are the work of R. Cifre and sons (1918).

de R. Cifre e hijos (1918).