Church of Our Lady of Loreto

The Church of Our Lady of Loreto is the main and most important place of worship in Venta del Moro, a small municipality in the province of Valencia, in the Requena-Utiel wine region. The building sits right on the town's central square and has served for centuries as the religious and social anchor of the community.

How do you get to the church?

The church stands at Plaza Vicente Blasco Ibáñez 1, so visitors come across it naturally while walking through the town centre. Venta del Moro lies along the road connecting Requena with the border area of Castilla-La Mancha, roughly an hour's drive from the city of Valencia. It makes a convenient stop for anyone touring the Requena-Utiel wine country or heading further inland toward Cuenca.

What is the history behind it?

The building's story starts in the mid-16th century, when it was a small hermitage dependent on the church of Villargordo, itself subordinate to the parish of El Salvador in Requena. Historians believe the construction was financed by a wealthy noble family from Requena that owned the surrounding land and had peasant families under its charge — the handful of residents living in Venta del Moro at the time were too few and too poor to fund such a project themselves.

A turning point came in 1896, when Bishop Pelayo González Conde granted the church independent parish status, formally separating it from El Salvador de Requena. In 1957, under Bishop Marcelino Olaechea Loizaga, Venta del Moro was brought into the Diocese of Valencia, tying the parish even more closely to the wider region.

What will you see inside?

The interior is built around a single vaulted nave, flanked on both sides by eight interconnected side chapels, all raised in traditional masonry typical of rural churches in the Requena-Utiel area. The bell tower is the building's most distinctive feature: its two lower sections are built from cut stone blocks, while the third, upper section was added around 1834 in solid brick — a change in material still visible from the outside today.

Inside the church stands the image of the town's patroness, the Virgen de Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto). It is a faithful copy of a figure attributed to the sculptor Vergara; the original was destroyed in 1936, during the Spanish Civil War. The church bells were recently restored, bringing back their full sound for religious celebrations.

When is the best time to visit?

The church is at its liveliest during Venta del Moro's patron saint festivities, when the town keeps alive the tradition known as "los mayos" — the bells ring throughout the entire night, one of the most cherished local customs. Outside the festive season, the exterior can be admired any time while strolling through the centre, and the interior is generally open around mass times.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the church located? At Plaza Vicente Blasco Ibáñez 1, in the centre of Venta del Moro, Valencia province.

Who is the parish's patron saint? The Virgen de Loreto (Our Lady of Loreto); the image inside is a copy of a figure attributed to Vergara, made after the original was destroyed in 1936.

Does the church have any notable architectural features? Yes — a bell tower combining two stone bodies with a brick section added around 1834, and eight side chapels connected along the main nave.

When does the church draw the most visitors? During the patron saint festivities, when the "los mayos" tradition fills the night with the sound of its bells.