Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital, Valencia

Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital is a medieval church whose stone entrance opens from a small decorated courtyard. Its story begins in the thirteenth century, when James I of Aragon granted this land to the Hospitaller knights after Valencia came under his rule. The building brings together Romanesque, Valencian Gothic, and Baroque work, with Valencian Gothic as its principal style.

Look at the side doorway: its smooth rounded arch is framed by a rectangular band, while the pointed window above carries delicate tracery shaped as a Maltese cross. Beside the courtyard rises a small bell tower dating from the early seventeenth century. Inside, the single nave extends for 36 metres and is covered by a pointed barrel vault, while the polygonal sanctuary has stone ribs crossing overhead.

The chapel of Santa Bárbara preserves the burial place of Constance of Greece. She received refuge in Valencia from James I, and after her death in 1307 she left this church the relics of Saint Barbara, including her column and bones. The church is also protected as a cultural asset.