Calasparra, Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol

The Church of San Pedro Apóstol, Calasparra

Calasparra, Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Apóstol The parish church of San Pedro is one of Calasparra’s most important monuments. It was built using masonry and brick, as is typical of the Region of Murcia’s baroque constructions, and the walls were rendered in white plaster the last time the building was restored. The church has three naves, and the floor plan is in the shape of a typical Latin cross. It occupies part of the old centre of the “villa” of Calasparra, and dominates the irregular shape of the simple Plaza Mayor.

There is some ambiguity as to the original construction date of the church, although it is believed that a mediaeval structure occupied this position. It is difficult to be exact as the building has undergone such extensive restructuring since it was originally constructed. The oldest documented mention of the church of San Pedro Apóstol yet discovered dates from 1545, when a will bequeathed money to the construction of the parish church. A visitor in 1586 recorded that Juan Jufre de Loaisa, the Commander of the Order of San Juan de Jerusalén, de Rodas y de Malta, arranged for repairs to the chapel of San Juan to be paid for.

The biggest repairs , however, were necessary following the damage caused during the Peninsular War, in which France fought Spain, Portugal and the UK for control of Spain. In September 1812 the French army, under the command of Marshal Soult, swept through Calasparra with devastating effect, and the following year the necessary repairs to the church were undertaken by the master builder José Polo y Pavia, an architect born in Cartagena in 1780. This restoration was completed in 1820.

The church contains various chapels and twelve altarpieces, perhaps the most impressive being the reredos of San Antonio (in the rococo style), which was created in the second half of the 18th century and features the typical “rocailles” (decorative motifs comprising an interplay of curves and counter-curves).

Other works of art in the church include the Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, a 17th-century statue attributed to Nicolás de Bussy (1650-1708), and a Cristo de la Sangre, a painted wooden figure from the same period which was created in his style, although the piece is attributed to his pupils rather than the artist himself.

All of the other sculptures are modern except those of San Pedro and San Sebastián: unfortunately most of the older pieces were destroyed by fire during the Civil War.