Valencia recovers one of its most emblematic heritage treasures starting this Friday, November 28. After more than five years of intense restoration work, the Church of Santos Juanes reopens its doors to the public.
This historic milestone for the city has been possible thanks to the impulse and patronage of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation, and the teams of the Institute of Heritage Restoration (IRP) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the architectural firm of Carlos Campos.
This team has returned the original splendor to this temple, known as the “second Cathedral” of the city because of its artistic importance.
The project has not only consisted of architectural recovery and cleaning of the frescoes, but now allows rediscovering the work of Antonio Palomino and the eight centuries of history that keep its walls.
Barroc’: the new immersive exhibition at Santos Juanes
The great novelty of this reopening is a pioneering immersive experience called Barroc. It is a video mapping show that solves the “challenge of an absence”.
After the fire of 1936, the paintings in the apse of the presbytery were completely destroyed, leaving a void in Palomino’s decorative program.
Thanks to this technology, a virtual recreation of the lost paintings is projected onto the architectural surface, without physically altering it.
This projection, accompanied by light, color and live recorded music, makes it possible to visualize the pictorial environment as it was before the fire, restoring unity to the message of the temple.
How much does it cost to visit the Santos Juanes church?
The church has several modes of entry as of now:
- Free Visit: Includes a multimedia audio guide in seven languages to tour the history of the temple at your own pace, from the Gothic to the restored Baroque.
- Guided Tour: A daily tour at 12:00 noon accompanied by a specialized guide, ideal to delve into the details of the restoration and the traces of history.
- Immersive Experience (Barroc): Specific ticket to enjoy the video mapping show and explanatory audio guide.
To visit this Baroque jewel, general admission is priced at 13 euros and visiting hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm (with last access at 7:00 pm).
The ticket for Barroc, which allows visitors to enjoy the innovative sensory and immersive experience, costs 15 euros and will be available at more specific times: Thursdays and Fridays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and Saturdays at 10:00 am.
Both types of tickets have a reduced rate (10 euros for the general ticket and 12 euros for the Barroc ticket) for students, pensioners, large families, people with disabilities and the unemployed.