Description of the attraction
The Church of San Pablo is located in Cordoba near the cathedral, opposite the Roman temple. Once upon a time, the Roman circus was located on this site, then the palace of the Arab dynasty of the Almohads was erected here, and in the 13th century the monastery of St. Paul was erected here, of which this ancient church is. The land for the construction of the monastery was donated to the Dominican monks by King Ferdinand III in 1241, and the construction of the church began in the 15th century.
During the invasion of the French in 1810, the buildings of the monastery were turned into military barracks, and only the church retained its true purpose. In 1848, the dilapidated monastery premises were ordered to be demolished, and the abandoned church quickly fell into decay. At the beginning of the 20th century, an attempt was made to restore it, and after a while its building was handed over to the Claretin monks.
In the external appearance of the church, elements and techniques of several architectural styles can be traced at once - Mudejar, Gothic, Mannerism and Baroque. The main façade, completed in the 16th century, is in the style of Mannerism. The facade is decorated with a magnificent portal, created in the form of an arch, above which in a small niche there is a sculptural image of the saint. Above all this splendor is a white rosette window. The gate leading to the courtyard in front of the church was built of marble in the Baroque style in 1708. On both sides they are decorated with twisted columns, and right above the wrought-iron gates there is a statue of St. Paul made of stone.
The interior of the temple is divided into three naves. The Church of San Pablo houses a sculpture of the Sorrowful Mother of God, created in 1627 by the sculptor Juan de Mesa.
