Convent of the Trinitarians and Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of San Juan Bautista preserves the memory of the former Discalced Trinitarian convent of La Solana, founded in the 17th century by Saint John Baptist of the Conception. Construction of the convent complex began in 1624, although the building has been significantly altered by the present day. Of that original convent, the church and the elevated passageway that crosses Arco del Convento Street, one of the most distinctive features of the complex, are the most well-preserved elements.

The former convent lost its monastic quarters, so the current focus is on the church. The building is a Baroque structure with classicist tendencies, featuring a sober and orderly composition. It has a main nave with side chapels and vaulted ceilings. A hemispherical dome on a drum stands out in the transept, replacing the original dome that has disappeared. The façade is crowned by a triangular pediment, and the lintel doorway is flanked by pilasters decorated with a recessed festoon.

The reconstruction carried out in 1970 explains much of its current appearance, but it does not diminish its significance as a testament to the former convent site. Caves used as shelters during the 19th and 20th centuries are preserved in the subsoil, adding a different historical perspective to the building. A visit allows one to understand the transformation of a modern convent into an urban parish and to recognize how certain remains—the church, the Convent Arch, and the caves—keep the tangible memory of the Trinitarian complex alive.