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Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced
Imagen Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced

This church was built between 1498 and 1515 with the support of Francisco del Castillo and Leonor Pesquera, whose elegant sepulchres are preserved in the chancel. The Renaissance cloister by Juan de Vallejo remain from the old monastery and the Gothic style church built by Simon de Colonia and Diego de Siloé. On its main facade, in a Flemish style, there are two coats of arms from the founders.

Its construction meant an important boost to the urbanisation of the south bank of the river Arlanzon around the dynamic neighbourhood of Vega. It suffered the ecclesiastical confiscations of 1835 and was used temporarily as a military hospital. The building was bought by the Society of Jesus in 1880.

It was fully restored in 2002 after a fire and it opened its doors again in 2003. The fire burned down the altarpiece and the organ.