San Juan y Todos los Santos Facts for Kids

San Juan y Todos los Santos Church in Córdoba

The San Juan y Todos los Santos Church, also called the Iglesia de la Trinidad (Trinity Church), is a Catholic church in Córdoba, Spain. You can find it in a place called Plaza de la Trinidad. This church was built where an old monastery, the Convento de la Trinidad, used to be. That monastery was started soon after King Fernando III of Castile took over the city in 1236. The church has a special look called the Baroque style. It is also part of the Historic centre of Córdoba, which is a very important place recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

History of the Church
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History of the Church

It is thought that the first church and monastery were built where a mosque once stood. However, there are no parts left of that old mosque. There are also no remains of the Church of San Juan de los Caballeros. This church was there after the monastery closed down.

We do know that the roof of the church fell in during the 1500s. It was later fixed with money from a person named Don Martin de Córdoba.

Building the New Church

After some time, the building became old and needed many repairs again. So, people decided to build a completely new church. This new church was officially opened on Trinity Sunday in 1705.

The church is built in the Baroque style. It has the shape of a Latin cross when you look down from above. The main part of the church, called the nave, has a rounded ceiling. This ceiling is decorated with painted sections. Above the middle part of the church, called the transept, there is a large dome.

Art and Decorations

The church has many beautiful artworks. One important piece is a statue of Christ the Saviour. It is called Santo Cristo de la Salud and was made in 1590. No one knows who carved it. This statue came from an older church that belonged to the Order of the Trinity.

More recent paintings are also found here. These include Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazerano and María Santísima de la Trinidad. These artworks were brought from a nearby monastery.

Outside and Inside Details

The main entrance of the church is very decorated. This is a big contrast to the rest of the church, which is painted white. The top of the entrance has a triangular shape. It also has two round windows.

The entrance has a Roman-style arch. On each side of the arch are double columns. Above these columns, there is a decorated band with special patterns. The upper part of the entrance has twisted columns. In a special spot, there are sculptures of an angel helping two people who were once captured.

The room where the priests get ready, called the sacristy, is square-shaped. It has amazing paintings by Antonio Palomino. He was a famous artist who lived from 1653 to 1726. These paintings show stories from the Old Testament that are about the Eucharist. The altars inside the church also have many artworks from the 1600s and 1700s.