Iglesia Parroquial de Santas Justa y Rufina

The parish church of Santas Justa y Rufina stands on the site of a former mosque and is dedicated to Orihuela's two patron saints. It was built in Gothic style in the 14th century, with later reforms in the 16th and 18th centuries adding Renaissance and Baroque elements to the original structure.

The city's patron saints

According to tradition, the feast day of Justa and Rufina coincides with the date the city passed into Christian hands, 17 July 1243, which explains the special bond between the two saints and Orihuela. The single-nave, unusually tall church combines the original Catalan Gothic with later additions, and is notable for its Gothic bell tower, decorated with gargoyles and holding one of the oldest working clocks in Spain. The Renaissance Puerta del Evangelio (Gospel doorway) is another of the building's most valued features.

Inside, the church keeps the Lignum Crucis, a work by Alberto Martínez from 1573, along with a 15th–16th-century image of the Virgen del Rosario, or de Gracia, held in the Chapel of the Communion. Both pieces rank among the city's most valuable religious heritage.

The church stands in the heart of Orihuela's historic centre, close to the cathedral and the Convento de Santo Domingo, and a short walk from the Casa-Museo de Miguel Hernández, making it a natural stop on any walk through the old town.