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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Sam Jones in Gumiel de Izán

‘It’s a real treasure’: Petra lookalike church draws crowds to Spanish town

The church of St Mary in the small northern Spanish town of Gumiel de Izán.
The church of St Mary. The mayor is keen that people look beyond its baroque facade and explore the gothic interior. Photograph: Farutxo/Shutterstock

Despite bearing more than a passing resemblance to the sandstone splendour of the treasury in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra, the church of St Mary, which lies in the small and fog-wreathed northern Spanish town of Gumiel de Izán, is a little short on camels, Nabataean relics and sweeping desert vistas.

What it does have, however, is the perfect proportions of a mini-cathedral, a spectacular polychromatic altarpiece, six centuries of history – and a newfound fame thanks to its more celebrated architectural lookalike.

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