The church of San Antonio is located in the convent square in Denia. This church belongs to an architectural ensemble built by the convent of San Antonio de Padua. It belongs to a Franciscan foundation from the 16th century, which was founded years later.
The church of San Antonio suffered serious damage in the War of Succession, the French War and the Spanish Civil War.
Presentation of the church of San Antonio in Denia
The entrance is of Doric order, with a venerable niche containing a contemporary representation of Saint Anthony of Padua. This church has the shape of a Latin cross inscribed in a rectangle and the façade is articulated with Doric pilasters on plinths.
Inside the church of St. Anthony, there is a large cross stamped with scenes from the Bible. This cross is located at the top of the main altar and its creation dates back to 1990, when the German jeweler Egino Weiner, an artist whose various works are exhibited in the Vatican Museums, created the cross of the church of San Antonio. The bell tower to the left of the church forms part of the façade from which the bell tower emerges, with Doric stone pillars with four semicircular arches.
The Church of San Antonio seems to have been built over what used to be the hermitage of the Mother of the Forsaken “Mare de Déu dels Desemparats”, patron saint of sailors and of the city of Denia. Today, after being destroyed in the Civil War, only the part of the cloister surrounding the gallery built with different stone and brick materials remains of the monastery, as well as the exterior façade covered with liberty stone, which is said to be more resistant.
Among these materials are those that have been best preserved to this day. The remains of the convent show the façades of its two floors, the ground floor being particularly striking, with its four elegant semicircular domes framed by Tuscan order nave cloths.
Furthermore, if we look at what remains of the building, with its overhangs, borders and protruding moldings, where above there are elegant rectangular windows separated by patterned panels, it seems that they decorated stained glass windows with passages from the life of Saint Francis.
What can we find near the church of San Antonio in Denia?
In the convent square, where the church is located, there are many bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a cold drink or even enjoy the gastronomy of Denia. Besides, at the entrance of the square, we find a pillar where, on top, a cross reigns. Nowadays it is a reproduction of the original cross, as it dates back to the 17th century, and it was in the 19th century when it was substituted by the pre-production. In this way, the original cross was transferred to the archaeological museum of Denia on top of the city’s castle.
Timetable of the church of San Antonio
The mass schedule from Monday to Friday in the church of San Antonio is two, one at 8:00 in the morning and the other at 20:00 in the evening. On the eve of public holidays only at 20:00 in the evening. On Sundays and public holidays the number of masses is increased to 4, at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am and 8:00 pm.
Parking at the Church of San Antonio.
As it is located in the center of Denia, and there are pedestrian streets in the area, finding parking is somewhat complicated. However, in the surrounding streets there are blue zone car parks, so for a small fee we can park without any problems. Even so, there are times when this blue zone ends up being completely occupied, and for this reason there is also a paid underground car park just a few minutes from the church. In any case, it is not a bad idea to park in a distant place and enjoy a walk through the center of Denia, especially in the summer season.