"Church of San Juan de Arties

This is the church of a thousand faces that has had various uses throughout its existence. San Juan de Arties is a Gothic church that, according to legend, originally belonged to the Templars, who settled in the valley in the twelfth century. Later, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem made it serve as an inn for walkers on the trans-Pyrenean route, and later still it was used for years as the local parish church of Arties. Other uses include its time as a military storehouse of the Navy during the Civil War, as a cement deposit during the construction of the hydroelectric power plants, and as the temporary exhibition hall it is to this day.

It was restored in 1988 and although its origins are Romanesque, it is considered the only fully Gothic church in the valley. Built at the beginning of the 14th century, it is a church with a single nave with three apses and divided into four sections marked by four pillars. On the noon wall you will find the Gothic doorway, which has four graduated, pointed arches protected by a dust cap -a typical element of the area. And look at the bell tower, which starts from a square floor base, but as it rises becomes an octagonal tower."

Winifred Roggekamp

"The Church of Sant Joan de Arties may not be as well-known as its neighbor, the Church of Santa María de Arties, which we talked about here, but even so, stopping to explore it and delving deeper into Aranese history is a very worthwhile activity.

Keep reading because in this post, we'll give you all the details about this beautiful church. It is a Gothic church that, according to tradition, initially belonged to the Templars, who settled in the valley in the early 12th century.

It later passed into the hands of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. This order used it as a hostel to accommodate hikers on the Trans-Pyrenees route, which connects the Cantabrian and Mediterranean seas along the southern slopes of the Pyrenees.

It was later used for years as a local parish church.

In its historical journey, it also served as a military quarters for the Navy during the Civil War and the postwar period.

During the construction of the hydroelectric plants, it was used as a cement storage facility. After the work was completed, the Church of Sant Joan was abandoned for years until it was finally restored in 1988.

This work also rethought its purpose, and since then, it has been used as a temporary exhibition hall. Currently, the Church of Sant Joan de Arties hosts workshops, conferences, and courses that reinforce the themes of the exhibitions."

Ahlam Chtouki hamido

"As the church was closed (apparently it was being used as an exhibition space), we could only admire the Romanesque exterior facades. The octagonal bell tower has a certain elegance."

Azurus D