Description
The original temple was arranged by Juan de Requena and Bastián Ruiz del Salto on April 22, 1539, giving its plant a measure of 50 rods long by 41 wide.
He dedicated himself to St. John the Baptist and the first cleric to serve it was Michael of Biedma. During the 17th century the need to expand that small temple was experienced, and even the insignia architect Eufrassio López de Rojas came to realize a simple project, which was not carried out due to lack of means.
In May 1785 the vice-president and factory butler Manuel de Arredondo requested the reform and expansion of the temple given its poor condition. In June of that year, the master of works Ramón Maroto issued a detailed report on the precise works to secure the ancient area and expand the temple. The cost was estimated at Rat 11,718.
The works were authorized and started by the architect Miguel de Aranderas, who was at that time one of Jaén's most accredited. The works were carried out, among others, by the singers Agustín Peinado, Manuel Caballero, Juan de Armenteros, Juan de Ortega and Pedro Caballero. The new temple was opened to worship in 1798. In 1829, he was redesigned by the Jiennese architect Manuel Paedilla. In the events of the Civil War, the parish was seized on 3 August 1936 and was dismantled and lost its small but interesting movable heritage.
In general terms it retains its primitive arrangement typical of the mannerist religious architecture: a single ship with small hornacino chapels marked on the walls; a short cruise covered with a half-orange dome; an open chapel on the side for Our Lady of the Dolores and chorus at the foot of the temple.
It retains images of Jacinto Higueras (Virgin of the Rosary and Our Father Jesus) and a small but select collection of goldsmiths. The main facade is very simple and its lines are in harmony with that of the nearby Conistory House.
