Squeezed between atmospheric squares in Valencia’s historic center is the Santa Catalina Church and Tower (Iglesia de Santa Catalina). Its spacious interior displays Gothic designs and its elaborate Baroque tower offers superb city views. Santa Catalina Church and Tower dates back to the 1200s and replaced an earlier mosque. Following a fire in 1548 the church was given a classical look then, in 1785, it had a Baroque appearance before being returned to its original style in the 1950s.
Enter via a small door on Plaza de Santa Catalina to discover an airy layout with a single nave, tall arches and flying buttresses. Similar to a cathedral, it has a retrochoir in the transept. Sculptures of religious figures adorn niches in the side walls and a large crucifix looms over the main altar. Study the series of stained-glass windows, which decorate the upper sections of the church walls and its apse.
The hexagonal bell tower, built by Valencia-born Baroque architect Juan Bautista Viñes in the late 1600s is perhaps the church’s most striking feature. Decorative windows and pilasters beautify the tower’s four floors and belfry. Look for a commemorative tombstone engraved with the name of the architect.
A narrow spiral staircase leads to the tower’s viewing platform from where you can spot major landmarks such as the Miguelete Tower of Valencia Cathedral and the Torres de Quart defensive towers. Look down on the commercial activity of the pretty Plaza Redonda.
The church is one of several attractions you can visit on a walking tour of the Old Town. Public buses stop at nearby Plaza de la Reina. Appreciate the church’s beauty while sipping on a horchata (tiger nut, water and sugar drink) at a pavement café. Next to the church is Plaza de Lope de Vega, home to a building recognized by the Guinness World Records as being the narrowest in Europe.
Santa Catalina Church and Tower is open daily. Admission is free to the church, although donations are welcome. There’s a fee to climb the tower.
