Iglesia de Santa María de Mediavilla

High above the countryside of Medina de Rioseco, in Spain's province of Valladolid, stands a temple that draws the gaze of the eye and captures the breath: Iglesia de Santa María de Mediavilla. Construction started in the late 15th century, when it was commissioned as the burial place for the Benavente family, a noble clan with influence stretching to the height of the Reconquista. Today, the family's chapel, named the 'Capilla Sixtina of Castilla,' is a treasure within Iglesia de Santa María de Mediavilla, filled with sculptures and paintings created by Jerónimo Corralde and Juan de Juni, the artists who brought life to the Capella Sixtina in Rome.

The church itself, a masterpiece in Gothic architecture, boasts three naves and a main altar that changed hands over the centuries. Juan de Juni, a Spanish Renaissance master, contributed greatly to its chapel. Yet today, the doors are closed, the pews empty, and the once-luminous stained glass shrouded. The building plans to be renovated, but for now, it stands, awaiting the restoration that will bring it back to life.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons