Newfound fame of Petra lookalike church draws crowds to Spanish town

Residents and business owners of Gumiel de Izán delighted at effect of National Geographic article

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.