St. Mark's Church
The least transformed church in Gothic-Mudejar style
The foundation of this church dates back to the «Repartimiento» carried out by King Fernando III El Santo after the capture of the city in 1248, settling on the site of an old Islamic mosque, of which its minaret tower is still preserved. Due to the clashes between the ducal houses of Medina Sidonia and Arcos the church was burned, being rebuilt later in 1478. In 1911 it was declared a subsidiary of the parish church of San Julián, being later created as a new independent parish.
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On July 18, 1936 the church was burned and looted, disappearing all the furniture. Its architectural features respond to the general characteristics of the parish churches of the fourteenth century, Gothic-Mudejar style, being one of the least transformed of those that form that group. The interior of the temple, with completely white walls, is practically free of added decoration, which makes the beauty of its constructive elements stand out even more.
A very important element is also its square tower, very slender and located on the facade. On the outside it has twin windows framed by alfiz, and decoration of sebka cloths, similar to those that exist in other church towers, as in Omnium Sanctorum, or in the Giralda of the cathedral of Seville. It corresponds to the minaret of the old mosque that existed in this place, before the church itself. This tower was restored in 1916 by the Sevillian architect Aníbal González.
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