Church of San Miguel

The first news of the existence of the Church of San Miguel dates back to 1249, although this does not mean that the current building was under construction at the time, as it may have made use of a former neighborhood mosque, as happened in other parishes of the city after its reconquest, such as San Lorenzo or Santiago. The Church of San Miguel was part of the parish of the same name created by Ferdinand III the Saint in 1241, serving as its religious and administrative center. The church was built very close to the Puerta de Osario, the northern entrance to the city during the Muslim period, located just a few meters from the north-south axis that crossed the Medina.

The Parish of San Miguel

From an urban point of view, the Church of San Miguel is located in a very important spot, as it stands just a few meters from the ancient Roman forum, the administrative and religious center of the city when it was a Roman Colonia Patricia. Soon, we will dedicate a prominent space to the Forum in the section on Roman Córdoba, which will explore the urban planning and most unique buildings that have survived to this day.

Architectural Transformations

Over time, and as seen in other Fernandine Churches of the period, the building has undergone several additions and transformations. The most important took place during the 18th century, when the church was covered with Baroque vaults in line with the tastes of the time. During these years, the current tower was built, erected on the remains of an old minaret from a neighborhood mosque. In the second half of the 18th century, the apse on the Gospel side was modified to become the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. In the 1960s, the church underwent a major restoration aimed at returning it, as much as possible, to its original state, revealing Gothic ribbed vaults and Mudejar wooden ceilings that can still be admired today.

San Miguel and its Urban Surroundings

From the beginning, San Miguel has been a residential neighborhood, home to many noble families of Córdoba, although during the Muslim era it likely hosted a significant number of residents who most likely left the city for the Kingdom of Granada or North Africa after the Christian conquest. Its current commercial character developed over time. It is a central area, located near the Plaza de las Tendillas, Ronda de los Tejares and Cruz Conde streets, some of the busiest areas of the city.

Plaza de Colón

Part of Plaza de Colón belonged to the parish of San Miguel, including the building that now houses the Provincial Council of Córdoba, formerly a Mercedarian convent built in the mid-18th century. Nothing remains in the square that recalls what it was like in medieval times, or even in the 18th century, when bullfights were common, such as the one held in 1759 to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.

General Description of the Building

The Church of San Miguel is built using ashlar masonry laid in stretcher and header bond, and occasionally, with several headers. Its simple, almost square floor plan reveals three parallel naves, the central one being wider and higher than the side aisles.

These naves are connected by three large pointed arches supported by cruciform pillars, a common feature in Fernandine Churches. Above the pointed arches, there is an impressive reinforced wall that houses three blind semicircular arches, which serve to absorb the thrust of the wooden coffered ceiling covering the central nave. However, most local historians agree that the walls and supporting elements, due to their strength and size, could support much heavier and larger roofs.

Apse and Apsidal Chapels

The apse consists of three polygonal chapels that are expressed externally in the same way, with notable use of buttresses to counter the thrust of the vaults.

The Main Altar and the epistle-side apse are covered with Gothic ribbed vaults, both dated to the mid-14th century. In the first case, the decoration is more elaborate, with the ribs adorned with sawtooth motifs, while in the epistle apse, the ribs are simple molded baquetons.

The Gospel apse, by contrast, breaks completely with the medieval aesthetic of the church, as it retains the appearance given during its mid-18th century remodeling. Designed in the taste of the period, it features white walls, colorful stucco with vegetal motifs, and a bright dome over pendentives.

Architectural Assessment

The Church of San Miguel is probably the one that best preserves its original appearance, showcasing great sobriety and elegance, typical of the early Gothic style in Córdoba.

Church Portals

Gospel Portal

The Gospel Portal follows the style of portals built in the city, but it is unique in that it is not topped by a canopy. It features a pointed arch entrance with molded archivolts and an extrados decorated with rosettes over small columns and a decorative frieze.

Epistle Portal

The Epistle Portal, on the other hand, features a pointed horseshoe arch, alternating voussoirs with simple vegetal motifs and undecorated ones. The arch is framed by a small alfiz. Above it, a canopy rests on roll-shaped modillions with a plain band in the center.

Main Portal

The Main Portal of the Church of San Miguel largely retains its original appearance, reflecting the austerity and clarity of form characteristic of its time. Two small rose windows are the only decoration on the side aisles.

The portal itself, flanked by two large buttresses, displays a beautiful recessed pointed arch entrance supported by smooth-shaft columns with capitals that blend into the decorative frieze. The canopy extends from buttress to buttress, perfectly framing the portal.

A splendid radial-tracery rose window crowns the whole, believed to be the oldest of the three that have survived to this day.

The Tower

The tower was built in the mid-18th century, in line with the style of the time, when plate decoration was widespread in Córdoba. It has a square plan, and the bell chamber (the second level) features the same layout on all sides—a semicircular opening flanked by pairs of plain pilasters. The tower is topped with a simple four-sided roof.

Chapels and Altars

We begin our brief tour on the Gospel nave, specifically with an interesting Pietà hanging at its foot. This anonymous work from the mid-18th century shows clear compositional flaws, although the anatomical rendering of Christ is skillfully handled. Similar in style and date are a Burial of Lazarus and a Crucified Christ.

This nave houses the Sacristy, a small rectangular room built in the early 17th century, from which stairs lead up to the tower. The sacristy contains several paintings, among which a 16th-century Assumption of the Virgin and an Apparition of Saint Raphael to Father Roelas stand out—a popular theme in the city, as it depicts the Archangel Raphael declaring he will be its protector.

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament

An inscription on the entrance arch to the Gospel apse, now the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, tells us that the restructuring works were completed in 1761. The chapel’s apse is dominated by a gilded wooden altarpiece by Teodosio Sánchez de Rueda, adorned with small-format paintings and sculptures. The central canvas depicts the Last Supper.

The walls feature paintings alluding to the Evangelists and one dedicated to Saint Acisclus and Saint Victoria, patron saints of Córdoba.

Main Altar

The Main Altar stands out for its altarpiece, unique in being made of marble rather than the usual gilded wood. Completed in 1701, it was carved by Juan Navajas, with help from Andrés Antonio del Pino and Toribio de Bada.

The altar has two tiers and three vertical sections, adorned with sculptures in niches. A small, beautifully crafted wooden Crucified Christ is placed above the tabernacle, flanked by Saint Gabriel and Saint Joseph.

In the second tier, in the central scalloped niche, there is an Immaculate Conception, flanked by the archangels Saint Michael and Saint Raphael.

Epistle Apse and Saint Joseph

In the Church of San Miguel, the figure of Saint Joseph is venerated in the Epistle Apse, the most austere of the apses, where only the simple Gothic vault decoration diverts attention from the small statue of the saint.

This anonymous polychrome wood carving is set in a small niche in the wall, beneath sealed arrowslits. The saint is depicted holding a lily branch, his most distinctive attribute, which allowed him to wed Mary.

Epistle Nave

From the Epistle nave, two paintings stand out. The first is an ancient Virgin of the Milk from the 15th century, a popular medieval theme showing the Virgin nursing the infant Jesus. Noteworthy is the use of gold in both the garments and the background.

The second is a fresco Annunciation of Mary, where a figure behind the Angel Gabriel, likely a donor, is present. This is a daring and interesting composition, as the anonymous artist had to work within a very limited space, yet still created an architectural setting and even rendered the figure of God the Father.

Baptismal Chapel or Chapel of the Vargas

Located in the Epistle nave is the Baptismal Chapel, once belonging to Don Alfonso Díaz de Vargas, chamberlain to King Henry, hence its other name, Chapel of the Vargas.

It is a square space covered by a Gothic ribbed vault with eight sections, supported by squinches with barrel fragments topped by horseshoe arches decorated with zigzag and diamond-point motifs. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most interesting architectural solutions found among the Fernandine Churches of Córdoba.

Equally striking are the corbels inside the squinches. Finally, a polychrome wooden sculpture of the Virgin of Bethlehem, a mid-18th-century work attributed to Alonso Gómez de Sandoval, is the most notable piece of movable heritage in the chapel.

Visiting the Church of San Miguel

If you would like to explore the Fernandine Churches, don’t hesitate to book one of our guided tours. We will pay special attention to the Church of San Miguel. We are experts in the interpretation of Córdoba’s historical heritage. If you have chosen to do tourism in Córdoba, choose a quality option—choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.