Church of Santa María de la Mesa

The Church of Santa Maria de la Mesa is the parish church of Zahara de la Sierra, in the province of Cadiz, located in the main square of the historic center of the municipality, in the surroundings of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. It is a religious temple of reference within the heritage of the town, also linked to the local parish and processional life. The sources consulted place its construction in the second half of the eighteenth century, within the Andalusian religious architecture of that period. Its stylistic language is mainly baroque, with the presence of the first neoclassical features, a combination that can be appreciated in the sobriety of some lines as opposed to the ornamentation typical of the late baroque. Among its outstanding patrimonial elements are the bell tower, visible as an urban landmark, the baroque façade and the parish interior, where pieces of interest such as the main altarpiece, in baroque style, and the organ are mentioned. The conservation of a parish treasure is also mentioned, which reinforces its historical-artistic value within Zahara. The building is integrated in a nucleus of great historical interest, dominated by the medieval and Andalusian heritage of the municipality, with castle, walls and traditional urban layout. The present church occupies a central space in the monumental image of Zahara and is one of its most important heritage tourism resources.