Santa María Magdalena, Córdoba Facts for Kids

St Mary Magdalene Church, Córdoba

The Santa María Magdalena Church is a beautiful old church in Córdoba, Spain. It was built in a special style called Mudejar, which mixes Christian and Islamic art. This church is part of the Historic centre of Córdoba, which is a very important place listed by UNESCO World Heritage. It is named after Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus.

History of Santa María Magdalena
Images for kids
See also

History of Santa María Magdalena

This church was one of the first 12 churches built by King Fernando III. He built them after he took over Córdoba in 1236. The church is in a busy area called La Magdalena, just east of the city center. It was so well designed that it became a model for other churches built later.

Building Styles and Features

The Santa María Magdalena Church shows a mix of different building styles. You can see parts that look Romanesque, Gothic, and Mudejar.

The main entrance is at the west end of the church. Above this door, there is a beautiful round window called a rose window.
On the south side, there is an older side door. This door has a special frame around it called an alfiz, decorated with pointed diamond shapes.
The church also has a tall tower built in the 1600s. It gets narrower as it goes up.

Changes Over Time

We don't have many old papers about the church's history. But we know it was mostly finished by the end of the 1200s. Over hundreds of years, the building changed a lot.

In the early 1500s, a room called a sacristy was added. This room is where priests get ready for services.
In the 1700s, new plaster ceilings were put in. These ceilings covered up the older wooden ones from the medieval times. The old wooden ceilings were uncovered again more recently.

From Church to Cultural Center

In 1990, the church was badly damaged by a fire. After that, it was no longer used as a church. It was "deconsecrated," which means it was no longer considered a holy place.

Today, a bank called Cajasur owns the building. It is now used for fun things like concerts and other cultural events.