Church of San Martín de Bachicabo - arabaturismo
Church of San Martín de Bachicabo
C/ Monasterio 10, 01423 Bachicabo
The church is only opened for guided tours (Valdegovía Information Office) and religious services.
Valdegovía Tourist office
C/ Arquitecto Jesús Guinea 46, 01426 Villanueva de Valdegovía
Further information on the Valdegovía website:
The origin of this curious circumstance occurred by chance in 2006, with the discovery of a mock altarpiece in the apse after a canvas overlooking the altarpiece was removed for restoration.
Bringing the sculptured altarpiece forward now makes it possible to view both works of art without any significant alterations with respect to their initial positions and makes it quite unique.
Never could the restorers have imagined what they would discover when taking down the extremely old hand-painted canvas hanging on the wall of the apse. In reality it is a 35 square meter altarpiece marked out on the stone and referred to as “simulated” because it is painted on stone rather than chiselled in wood as is customary.
In addition to this, the church with its single rectangular high walled nave houses houses one of the best collections of baroque art in Álava due to the innovative nature of its architectural design, the connection of its sculptures to the work of Gregorio Fernández and the presence of outstanding Flemish canvases based on works by Rubens and Van Dyck.
Guided tours of the Church of San Martín de Bachicabo are available, arranged by the Valdegovía Tourist Office.
Location
