The inside of St Nicholas' Church. This is one of the oldest churches in Valencia. First, there was a Roman temple on the site, then a mosque, and finally the Catholic church was built in the 13th century. Alexander of Borgia used to be the priest here in the 15th century, before he went to Rome and became a pope; he had the church renovated in baroque style and the frescoes covering all the inside painted. Some sources say it was because he was always fond of his former parish, others less kind ones think it's because he wanted to have a church worthy of himself in case he ever had to come back. Whatever the reason, the result was astounding. Unfortunately, as centuries passed, the smoke of thousands of candles and the very high humidity of the site made the inside of the church so dirty that the paintings could not be seen; only some faces or hands could be detected as lighter spots. In 2000, a private foundation decided to pay for the restoration of the church and, after more than 15 years of hard work, the stunning interior of the church can be enjoyed again as it was in the 15th-16th centuries. A very big thank-you to them!
So glad it has been restored
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