Church of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem

Spanish Pyrenees Hike ~ Zaragoza (Region) The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem settled in Zaragoza around the 12th and 13th centuries. To commemorate their presence, they ordered a church to be built on the site where the church of San Juan de los Panetes would be located centuries later, named after the order’s patron, San Juan de Jerusalem. San Juan de los Panetes has a brick octagonal tower that leans slightly towards the Plaza del Pilar. The tower was built in the 16th century and was one of the first structures to be constructed. Its influences are mainly Aragonese Mudéjar with a touch of Renaissance style. It has a bulbous spire on top. It has a Baroque doorway divided into two parts. The first is a niche with a Baroque carving of the image of Juan Bautista, the church's patron saint. The second part of the frontispiece consists of a simple semicircular arch and pilasters on either side. Finally, it is topped by a straight pediment with an oculus. The interior of the temple is divided into three naves of equal size and height, without any trace of Romanesque style. Its vaults are decorated with lunettes in the 17th-century Baroque style. The dome sits above the transepts and several Maltese crosses are scattered across the floor, clearly hinting at the church’s Maltese origins, as the Knights of St John of Jerusalem (an affiliate of the Order of Malta) were patrons of its early buildings. #AprilDestinations2025 #SpainTravel #Aragon