In front of you is the church dedicated to St Cyriacus and St Paula (Ciriaco and Paula), the patron saints of Málaga. Look at the tile panel: the two young saints hold the palms of martyrdom, and at their feet is the city's coat of arms, on which they also appear.

1What tradition tells

According to tradition, Cyriacus and Paula were two young Christians in Roman Malaca. During Diocletian's persecution, around the year 303, they were arrested and tortured to make them renounce their faith; when they refused, they were tied to two trees and stoned to death on the banks of the Guadalmedina, at a spot still called Martiricos. It is said that a downpour prevented their bodies from being burned, so the Christians were able to bury them. The records of their trial are lost: the oldest surviving mention comes from the martyrology of the monk Usuard, in the 9th century.

2Patron saints for a new city

The documented story begins in 1487. After the conquest, the Catholic Monarchs founded four parishes, and one was dedicated to these martyrs. In 1490 they were named the city's patron saints, and in 1494 they were added to its coat of arms. Another tradition claims that a Hieronymite monk had promised the monarchs victory if they dedicated a church to them.

The original building was Gothic-Mudéjar; 18th-century alterations filled its interior with Rococo plasterwork.

3What to look for

  • The tower, of brick and stone, one of the surviving parts of the first church.
  • The tile panel with the patron saints and a view of old Málaga.
  • The palms both saints hold, the Christian symbol of martyrdom.
Tile panel showing St Cyriacus and St Paula, patron saints of Málaga
St Cyriacus and St Paula holding the palms of martyrdom.

Documented

The parish is one of the four founded by the Catholic Monarchs after 1487; Cyriacus and Paula were named patron saints in 1490 and added to the coat of arms in 1494.

Oral tradition

The details of the martyrdom – the trees, the stoning by the river and the downpour – come from tradition, not from surviving records.

Sources and credits

Diocese of Málaga (diocesismalaga.es); Málaga City Council, Tourism Department (Church of the Holy Martyrs); Usuard, Martyrology (9th century).

Photos:

  • Brick tower of the Church of the Holy Martyrs in Málaga: Miwipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
  • Tile panel showing St Cyriacus and St Paula, patron saints of Málaga: Oilisab, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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