San Pablo, Córdoba facts for kids
San Pablo is a beautiful old church and a former convent located in Córdoba, a city in southern Spain. This special place has always been important. It sits right at the edge of the city, near a main road.
Long ago, before the church was built, this spot was home to a huge Roman Circus. This was like a big stadium for races and shows! Later, a Muslim palace stood here. Finally, Christian people called Almohads built the Dominican convent and church we see today.
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What Does San Pablo Look Like?
The church has many Baroque features. This style of art and architecture was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. You can see beautiful marble details from 1708. The front of the church, called the main facade, shows a style from the 1500s called Mannerist.
Inside, the church has three long sections called naves. These are separated by tall pillars. The pillars are decorated with a special style called Mudéjar, which mixes Christian and Muslim art.
The church also has three rounded areas at the end, called apses. These are round on the inside and rectangular on the outside. They have a dome shaped like a quarter of a sphere. The central apse has a unique five-sided ceiling. The church tower is made of stone and has a wooden bell tower on top.
Special Parts of the Church
In one of the side naves, there is a pointed archway. It has old capitals (the tops of columns) from the Caliphate period. This arch leads out to San Pablo Street. In the other side nave, you can find an old door with a Gothic-Mudejar design. This style combines Gothic (medieval European) and Mudéjar elements.
One of the most important chapels is the Chapel of the Madonna del Rosario. It was first built in the 1400s and then updated in 1758. It's a great example of the Baroque style in Córdoba.
You can still see parts of the old convent's cloister (a covered walkway) built into a passage on Capitulares Street. This passage leads to the Ministry of Culture building. The chapter house, a meeting room for the convent, was designed by a famous architect named Hernán Ruiz II. It might not have been finished because they ran out of money.
The church building was restored and updated in 2008. This helped to preserve it for the city's cultural heritage. One of the most important sculptures in Córdoba, especially during Easter, is "Our Lady of Sorrows." It was made in 1627 by an artist named Juan de Mesa.
The Gardens of San Pablo
The beautiful gardens around the church are called the Jardines de Orive. These gardens were once part of the convent's own garden. People have mentioned these gardens in writings as far back as 1409!
See also
- List of carillons
- In Spanish: Iglesia de San Pablo (Córdoba) para niños
