San Antonio de Padua church in Frigiliana
Frigiliana is an ancient and historic whitewashed mountain village, pueblo blanco, of exceptional beauty and charm, 60 kms east of Málaga and 6kms into the lower slopes of the Sierra Almijara mountain range behind Nerja. Built into the steep hillside on Moorish foundations, the old cobbled streets, so narrow as to restrict the passage of traffic, are lined with pretty flower-filled windows, alleys and doorways. Water flows freely from the majestic Sierra mountain ranges behind and is used for irrigation of the rich, terraced land which falls away from the village down to the sea.
The 17th century church of San Antonio de Padua was built on the site of a former mosque and sits high up in the village of Frigiliana and the journey time from the resort of Nerja is approx 20 minutes.
It has a beautiful, gold plated altar and capacity for around 200 people, so is large enough but not so large that it feels empty. The priest is a very pleasant man and although his English is limited, there would be a translator there on the day and the service will be in both English and Spanish. This is a lovely way of combining the Spanish culture withyour own and is always enjoyed by the congregation.
We usually recommend the service be at around 4-5pm as it is cooling down slightly and this way there is not so much time for the guests to wait for dinner. However, we can organise it for whatever time of day you prefer.
As well as the church itself being beautiful, the cobbled streets and pretty square in front of it as well as the panoramic views down across the coast, provide a spectacular backdrop for wedding photos. It is in the centre of the village so guests can wander a little and take some refreshment in town before leaving for the reception, which makes for a very relaxed day.