Church of San Mateo

A Church Amid Vineyards

The Albarca Valley, or “pla d’Albarca,” is home to a significant portion of the island’s wine production, with vines growing on plots of varying sizes near this simple church, built at a crossroads connecting northern, central, and western Ibiza.

Approaching the Church of San Mateo on the way to Sant Miquel brings into focus the purpose behind the 18th-century construction of Ibiza’s rural churches: to provide religious services to the farmers scattered throughout the area. It is a single-nave church with a semicircular vault and eight side chapels; its main façade is crowned by a simple bell gable and features the traditional portico, or “porxo,” with three arched entrances.

A suggestion? If you’re in Ibiza on September 21—St. Matthew’s Day—join the parish festival and take the opportunity to experience traditional folklore.