Iglesia de San Felipe y Santiago el menor

The current church of San Felipe and Santiago el Menor is begun in 1686, after demolishing the previous building, which had become too small due to the increase in parishioners. The family of the Marquis of Villaverde play an important role in promoting the new construction  work; they give the plot of land to extend the church and help by giving generous economic contributions. In exchange, they can directly access the temple from their palace ,known today as palace of the count of Argillo-, adjoining the church.

The construction can be divided into three stages, which go from 1686 to 1752, when the royal architect, Ventura Rodriguez, advises the elimination of part of the decorative elements to adapt it to the new classicist tastes. He intervenes at the same time with the same criteria in the Basilica of the Pilar. as an anecdotic element, the marriage of Ventura Rodriguez to a parishioner of San Felipe, celebrated in this same church in 1751, can be highlighted.

On the outside, the front door presents a composition full of plasticity and movement, which seems to anticipate the rich interior baldachin. The figures of San Felipe and Santiago el Menor are placed on the solomonic columns, and between them, a eucharistic relief with the emblem of the brotherhood of Minerva, whose seat is here in this church; the image of Santa Elena crowns the front door.

On the inside the harmony and wealth of the space stand out. Its ground plan, normal in churches of Zaragoza of this time, has three naves with an atrium at the foot where the chorus is placed. Due to its high quality, the series of nine apostles who flank the central nave and take us to the altar, must be pointed out, forming and configuring the typical aisle of Baroque temples; these images are the work of the sculptor of Zaragoza, Jose Ramírez de Areanno, also the author of the magnificent golden pulpit, of the High Altarpiece and of the side doors with eucharistic reliefs.

The High Altar is a baldachin that follows the model created by Bernini for San Pedro of the Vatican. The Solomonic columns made of black marble from Calatorao frame the images of San Felipe and Santiago el Menor; the whole unit is completed with the figures of five Virtues: Charity, Hope, Strength, Justice and Faith.