The Baroque Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen Extramuros

Outside the walls of the city of Valladolid, stands the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen Extramuros, dating back to the 16th century. Originally built as part of the former convent of the Carmen Descalzo, the church's construction spanned from the 16th to 18th centuries, led by architect Diego de Praves, although its founding fathers, San Juan de la Cruz and Santa Teresa de Jesús, died shortly before its beginnings, despite having previously visited the site. The property was located outside the city walls, in a secluded place to the northeast, near one of the meanders of the Río Pisuerga. The church features barrel vaults with lunettes, finely decorated with flat plasterwork of diamond points and other geometric motifs.

Its single nave and transept are adorned with these vaults and a dome. Despite losses during the Desamortización, the church boasts a considerable amount of mobiliario, including a statue of an Inmaculada realized by Gregorio Fernández in 1634 and a small sculpture of Santa Ana, a late work of Juan de Juni. Two works by Gregorio Fernández, a Santa Teresa and a Crucifix, can be found in the south arm of the transept. The Retablo de San Juan de la Cruz is located on the opposite side of the transept, before entering the capilla de San Joaquín, Santa Ana y Nuestra Señora de la Mano, and formerly belonged to the old chapel of don Antonio de Camporredondo or de San Juan Bautista.

In 1739, the chapel of San Joaquín, Santa Ana y Nuestra Señora de la Mano was added to the north testero of the transept, perpendicularly to the axis of the temple; its construction is attributed to the Carmelite friar Pedro de la Visitación. The church's huerta, a part of the convent, was converted into the municipal cemetery of Valladolid in 1840. Today, the church serves as the sanctuary of the Virgin del Carmen and is the destination of a popular annual romería mariana. The church holds the status of a monument of historical-artistic national interest, as designated on 23-11-1983.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons