Iron ball atop the tower of Yecla's Iglesia Vieja

The Iglesia Vieja, or Iglesia del Salvador, is a civil monument in the municipality of Yecla, located between the Town Hall and the Sanctuary of the Castle. Although it was originally a religious temple, it is currently desacralized. Construction of the building began in the 16th century, with most of the work concluding in 1512 and the temple being consecrated in 1540.

The main body of the building was constructed following the Gothic style predominant during the Middle Ages. Over time, other styles were added, including Renaissance architecture used to build the tower, which took its model from the church of Santiago de Villena. One unique aspect of the construction is that work began on the nave rather than the apse, which is the opposite of the standard practice of the era.

During the Civil War, the Rectoría del Salvador was looted and set on fire in March 1936, marking the last time it held religious services. The building remained in ruins until the mid-1980s, when a major restoration was undertaken. At that time, the building was in an advanced state of deterioration; for instance, the large iron ball atop the tower had fallen onto the nave, breaking the roof and sinking into the crypt.\n The restoration was led by the architect Andrés Terol, who received a regional architecture award for the work.

Today, the building stands preserved, featuring a tower with a Renaissance style and carved friezes depicting various social estates of the period. Above this tower sits a spire that supports a large iron ball. The exterior facades also feature various carvings, including the figures of seven knights, several faces representing different stages of life, and faces of two women, possibly the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons