Neoclassical San Lorenzo Church: Hidden beauty and history in Murcia

The San Lorenzo Church, one of Murcia’s traditional parishes, was built between 1788 and 1810. Despite interruptions during construction and consecration in 1810, it stands as a major work of Neoclassicism in Murcia and Iberia. The church's origins trace back to the conquest of Murcia. The new temple was consecrated by the new bishop of the diocese, D. José Ximénez, in 1810. The San Lorenzo Church was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1980.

Ventura Rodríguez, the architect, also designed the Murcia Cathedral's cúpula. The church's design is inspired by the Iglesia de San Marcos in Madrid, also created by Ventura Rodríguez. The church consists of three elliptical spaces of various sizes.

The main facade of the church is modestly adorned with a simple portada and is crowned by a triangular frontón. The Cristo del Refugio, venerated there since the 16th century, is a significant piece of the San Lorenzo Church, often attributed to Jerónimo Quijano. The Cristo del Refugio is nestled in an elliptical retable by Joaquín Dicenta Vilaplana. The Dolorosa de San Lorenzo, replicating Salzillo’s famous Dolorosa for the Cofradía de Jesús Nazareno, is an 18th-century work by Francisco Salzillo. A Santa Rita of Casia, confirmed as a work of the Murcian sculptor, can be found in the church. An attributed San Juan de la Cruz, sculpted by the Napolitano sculptor Nicolás Salzillo, is also present in the church.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons