Iglesia parroquial de San Vicente Mártir, Paracuellos del Jarama

Iglesia parroquial de San Vicente Mártir is the historic parish church of Paracuellos de Jarama, a small municipality in the Community of Madrid, set in the valley of the Jarama river. Built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, it has been protected as a regional cultural asset since 1983 and remains the town's principal example of religious architecture.

How did this church come to be built?

Devotion to Saint Vincent the Martyr in Paracuellos goes back to the Middle Ages. As early as 1537, inspectors from the Order of Santiago visiting the earlier church on this site ranked it among the more significant churches within the order. Construction of the present building began in 1587 and was not finished until 1640. The project was sponsored by Ares Pardo, lord of Paracuellos, and his wife Luisa de la Cerda, in the final decades of the 16th century. Raising the new church here was one of the reasons the local population gradually shifted away from the older settlement near the riverside castle and resettled around the new parish building.

What can visitors see inside?

The interior follows a Baroque scheme, with decorative stuccowork covering much of the vaulting and walls. The church is laid out in three naves divided by pillars and semicircular arches: the central nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes, while the side naves have groin vaults. Unusually, the choir sits at the entrance end of the church, above the atrium rather than near the altar. The main altarpiece was commissioned in 1608 by Juan Pardo Tavera, the eldest son of founder Ares Pardo. It was carried out by Mateo González, a sculptor and altarpiece-maker who passed his qualifying examination that same December, authorizing him to build wooden altarpieces of this kind.

What makes the bell tower distinctive?

At the foot of the church, next to the epistle-side nave, stands a brick and masonry tower rising through four stages marked off by cornices. The uppermost stage is an open belfry with rectangular openings topped by semicircular arches on each face. In December 2004 the tower gained a carillon, donated to the parish and installed above the bell chamber — a modern addition sitting alongside the centuries-old structure beneath it.

Is it worth a visit?

The church of San Vicente Mártir illustrates how provincial religious architecture in Castile evolved across generations: a sober, load-bearing brick-and-stone shell from the late 16th century was later enriched with a more elaborate Baroque interior. For travelers exploring the area around Madrid, particularly routes that follow the Jarama valley, it offers a look at local parish architecture from the Habsburg era outside the capital itself. As it remains an active parish, visits are best planned outside Mass times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who funded the construction of the church in Paracuellos de Jarama? The building was funded by Ares Pardo, lord of Paracuellos, and his wife Luisa de la Cerda, with work running from 1587 to 1640.

What style is the interior of the church? The interior is Baroque, featuring stucco decoration, three naves, and a choir placed above the atrium at the entrance rather than near the altar.

Since when has the building been protected as a heritage site? The church was declared a regional Cultural Asset (Bien de Interés Cultural) on 22 April 1983.

What is notable about the bell tower? The brick tower has four stages and an open belfry, and since December 2004 it has also carried a donated carillon above the bell chamber.