Our heritage
of our past and a part of our present.
The stones here speak, because they are a part
of our past and a part of our present.
Benimeli
Església de Sant Andreu Apòstol
The parish church of Sant Andreu Apòstol is located in the town of Benimeli. It was established as a parish in 1991, and the dedication of the temple took place in 2001, as the previous temple had been an annex of the parish of Ràfol d'Almúnia since 1535. The entire process was initiated by High Reverend Dámaso Domènech Ferrer, whose mortal remains rest in the main altar.
With regards to the exterior, the bell tower stands out. Until 1944, there was a bell-gable with two bells on the main façade of the church; however, these were melted down during the Spanish Civil War to make ammunition. The new bells that occupy the bell tower were baptised Maria (the larger bell with a diameter of 71 centimetres) and Sant Andreu (the smaller bell with a diameter of 57 centimetres).
The building has a Greek cross plan and is covered by a barrel vault. It consists of four lateral chapels dedicated to various saints, three on the left side and one on the right. One of them is dedicated to El Santíssim Ecce-Homo, the patron saint of the locality, and it was reconstructed in 1920 and covered with a dome. The current image of El Santíssim Ecce-Homo dates back to 1940 and was commissioned to replace the previous one from 1780. In 1865, thanks to donations from all the residents of the town, the cloak that the image is adorned with during the town celebrations was made; this piece is preserved to this day.
The golden altarpiece of the main altar can be admired, as well as the image of Sant Andreu, by Vicente Rodilla, which arrived in Benimeli on the 9th of October, 1950, and took the place of the previous 15th-century image that had been destroyed during the Civil War. Alongside Sant Andreu, there are the images of La Immaculada Concepció (the Immaculate Conception), which is traditionally carried from house to house on a daily basis, and El Sagrat Cor de Jesús (the Sacred Heart of Jesus), located in two lateral chapels. There is also a painting of El Santíssim Ecce-Homo held by two angels at the top of the altarpiece.
From the events of the Spanish Civil War, what was possible to be saved were the 19th-century cloak of El Santíssim Ecce-Homo, an 18th-century chalice, an 18th-century monstrance and an 18th-century painting of Sant Andreu Apòstol.
Benimeli
Our heritage
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