Iglesia del Monasterio del Carmen Bajo de San Rafael – Architecture

The Church of the Carmel Monastery of Saint Raphael erects over a rectangular floor plan and the square base tower is attached to this volume.

The church is of neoclassic style and is formed by several pilasters and Corinthian style columns. In its main access, it has an archivolt and a curved pediment. The general volume finishes in a triangular pediment.

The east lateral façade consists of pilasters, columns and semicircular arches. It has several niches, but they do not contain images. The access also has an archivolt, but the pediment is triangular.

The tower is made of brick up to the entablature, from there it is made of wood lined by stamped iron and is crowned by an image of the Saint Raphael the Archangel.

The temple keynote in its southern part is a large atrium surrounded by an iron grate on the east side.

The interior of the temple stands out for having two parallel naves, both with a ribbed vault. The lateral nave that is lower than the main one is formed by large semicircular arches. The wall has a set of pilasters, Corinthian style columns and semicircular arches that form some niches with triangular pediments as devotional altars and in the openings, large stained glass windows with semicircular arches.

The main nave is also made up of large semicircular arches and a set of pilasters, marble Corinthian style columns and semicircular arches give rise to the devotional altars, although there is not any. The highest part of the nave has windows with vertical vitreaux with semicircular arches.

The temple is made of brick and it is damaged due to the earthquake of February 27, 2010.