CHURCH OF SANT FRANCESC

CHURCH OF SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA

Located within the "salinas" of Ibiza, this small parish is dedicated to St. Francis of Paula, and known as Church of Sant Francesc de s'Estany or Ses Salines. Its charm lies, not only in being in one of the most spectacular places on the island, but the simplicity of the small temple. The new altar was inaugurated this year, thanks to the efforts and enthusiasm of his pastor priest, that he performed it from old photographs that exist of the former ancient altarpiece. This new altar piece added some allegorical paintings on the life of St. Francis of Paula who is dedicated this parish church.

As architectural complay the fees of the Ibiza churches, should be white and simple but also it has the "honor" of being the smallest church on the island. Everything in here is small. Even paradoxically has his choir on the top floor, which are not all the churches of the island even being much bigger that have it.

Sometimes some details are small surprises, such as the font of holy water (pictured above) which is located right next to the narrow staircase that leads to the choir. when we look at the ceiling we will see the amount of wood beams on the rustic way of typical houses (at the countryside) of the island. This church was built in the early eighteenth century. Although it is believed that was built on a previously existing chapel on the fifteenth century to meet the religious needs of the salt men who work at the near salt mines, then became a church in the year 1785.

The people of this area are very proud of their small but beautiful church, most of the religious images have been donated by some of them, and inside there are enough images that have nothing to envy in size and in numbers to the other larger churches . One of the surprising things in this temple is a shield of Castile in its facade, the reason for that, is that after the Civil War the salt mines passed to belong to the crown rights due the conquest, and the crown was responsible for the religious purposes of this place, where lived of salt workers and residents of the neighboring orchards.