Church of St. James the Greater

The church of Santiago el Mayor is one of the most monumental buildings in Membrilla and one of the main visual landmarks of the town.

Its large size, the solidity of its walls and the prominent presence of the tower make the temple stand out clearly against the urban profile, becoming a constant point of reference within the town.

This is a building that perfectly expresses the importance achieved by Membrilla throughout the Modern Age and the community's ability to build a religious space of great dimensions and remarkable architectural ambition.

The current temple began to be built in the 15th century for to replace an earlier 13th-century church, known as Old Santiago, with whom he lived for quite some time.

The building responds to a language Flamboyant Gothic with some Elizabethan features It features a single nave with open chapels between solid buttresses. It is built mainly of masonry, with ashlar reserved for the most prominent structural and ornamental elements, while the polygonal apse, the choir at the west end, and the square-based tower reinforce the monumentality of the whole.

Also noteworthy are their three access covers The decoration is concentrated on corbels, continuous capitals, and other elements carved with plant, geometric, human, and zoomorphic motifs. The main portal, facing south, is made of pink stone and is one of the most striking features of the building, along with the north door, also in the Flamboyant Gothic style.

The visit allows one to appreciate a temple of great spatial and constructive force, capable of summarizing in its structure a good part of the historical and heritage identity of Membrilla.