MAIN CHURCH OF SAN MATEO APOSTOL
It was built at the beginning of the 16th century both in its architectural and decorative aspects, responds to the most advanced or flamboyant Gothic, although its façade was not completed until the beginning of the 18th century. Currently, the Puerta de los Perdones, on the side façade, is still unfinished.
The temple was built at the expense of D. Fadrique Enrique de Rivera, Marquis of Tarifa, who, due to a lawsuit with the residents of the city, left it unfinished on its facade,it was completed two centuries later, in a neoclassical style with local stone.
The vaults are Gothic ribbed and are beautifully decorated with a profusion of arches, friezes, ornaments and figures, highlighting the relief of el Resucitado on the organ -s. XVIII-, and that of El Salvador surrounded by the twelve apostles in the transept. The chancel vault is decorated with symbols of the Passion.
The current arrangement of its ornamentation is not the original one. At first, the presbytery was dominated by a classical altarpiece, a Roman basilica-type façade, whose pieces and paintings are now distributed throughout the Church. That first altarpiece was later replaced by a Gothic-inspired temple, perhaps seeking greater harmony with the architecture of the Church and at the beginning of this century by the current one, the work of the carver from Tarifa, Lorenzo Jiménez. Pieces of that first altarpiece are the columns that today frame some altars and portals and the two large canvases that occupy both sides of the main altar (Nacimiento de Jesús y Adoración de los Reyes Magos) and the magnificent Calvario that finishes off the portal that gives entrance to the Tabernacle Chapel. In the back of the Church there was a choir stalls throughout the temple. Of this choir today only part of the stalls that are placed behind the main altar remain. The temple receives natural light through stained glass windows that were placed in 1962.
SINGULARITIES
The access gate to the temple is made of Mexican mahogany (18th century), with noble wood inlays and legends alluding to the sacred place.
Above the gate is a magnificent baroque organ from the 18th century with 713 pipes. At the beginning of this century the box was changed to the current Gothic, perhaps seeking harmony with the rest of the Church.
In the Baptismal chapel is the parochial marble baptismal font (18th century); a large painting by the Tarifeño painter Agustín Segura (1953), which represents the exaltation of the Virgen de la Luz and includes the Parish of San Mateo and the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Luz ; another small canvas that represents the baptism of Jesus; a carving of San Rafael de la Roldana (18th century) and the silver pavilion for the Corpus Christi procession.
In the nave of the epistle: the Cristo de la Salud, carving by Pedro de Mena s.XVIII), a small tombstone from the 7th century attached to the wall, and found in the Monte de la Peña, which testifies to the Christian presence in the pre-Islamic invasion area.
The El Sagrario
is profusely decorated with ceramic brick in violet and pinkish tones and artistic ironwork on the entrance gate, stands and communion rail. This chapel was the old one of San Pedro and was restored at the end of the s. XIX and is crowned by a beautifully decorated vault. . The Tabernacle is located inside a golden Gothic temple; in the upper part of the temple a carved crucifix; La Virgen del Sol patron saint of fishermen, who moved to the Church of San Mateo when her hermitage disappeared. It is a polychrome carving from the 18th century.
CHAPEL OF SAN JOSÉ
In the CHAPEL OF SAN JOSÉ we find an image of the Saint with the Child; Next to the door of the sacristy is located the carving of the Immaculate, and the chest that has housed the Collection of Privileges granted by the Spanish monarchs to Tarifa.
PRESBYTERY
In the center of the Gothic pavilion there is a large carving of the apostle San Mateo, patron of the church, the work of Juan Montañés (1607), in front of the manifestor a magnificent ivory Crucifix; the Tabernacle door is a beautiful canvas of el pequeño Buen Pastor framed in silver, from the Murillo school; the three armchairs of the Gothic style headquarters; two reliefs on the side walls, one of the Padre Eterno and another of Santiago Matamoros, from the old Santiago church; balustrade and lecterns in wrought iron in clear gothic inspiration.
CHAPEL OF THE NAZARENO
In the dressing room there is a magnificent complete carving of Jesus with the cross on his back, a work by an unknown author that dates back to at least the 17th century; El Cristo Yacente that is under the altar table is also carved; the lateral images procession in the Holy Week in Tarifa.
ALTARPIECE Dulce Nombre de Jesús.
It is from the 18th century, and is a replica of the missing one from the High Altar and contains meritorious works; the image of the apostle San Mateo, the work of Juan Montañés (1607); reliefs of La Santísima Trinidad and San Cristóbal; various canvases depicting Jesús entre los Doctores, Bautismo del Señor , Circuncisión del Niño and Huida a Egipto; at the bottom two boards; one of the Nativity and another of the Annunciation; on both sides of the altar a table of el Corazón de Jesús and another of Jesús con la Eucaristía.
ALTAR OF EL MEDINACELI AND LA ESPERANZA
Image of Jesús Cautivo y rescatado, carving by the Cadiz sculptor Miguel Laínez Capote (1963).
PUERTA DEL PERDÓN
This side door of the Church, called el Perdón, contains an original story: When Sancho IV reconquered the city from the Muslims in the Middle Ages, its border situation prevented its inhabitants from having a quiet life, so many preferred not to settle in Tarifa. It was then that the king, in order to encourage the Christians to come and reside there, granted privileges and exemptions; those who resided a year and a day in the city would be forgiven of their crimes, they then entered through this door of forgiveness in the Church and a solemn thanksgiving was celebrated.
ALTAR DE LOS DOLORES
Old altarpiece of the Church of SANTA MARÍA from the 16th century, with relief of La Anunciación in the upper part and painted tables in the lower part.
In the sacristy there is a pictorial composition on board with the icon of the Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro, the work of the painter from Tarifa, Guillermo Pérez Villalta (1981)
