Church of San Miguel: Altars and Chapels.

We will begin our small tour through the Gospel nave, specifically with an interesting Pietà hanging at its foot. It is an anonymous work from the mid-18th century, where evident compositional flaws can be observed, although the mastery of drawing in the anatomical treatment of Christ’s figure is quite accurate. Of similar characteristics and dates are a Burial of Lazarus and a Crucified Christ.

In this nave is located the Sacristy, a small rectangular room built at the beginning of the 17th century, from which the tower can be accessed via stairs. The sacristy contains several paintings, among which we can highlight a 16th-century Assumption of the Virgin or an Apparition of Saint Raphael to Father Roelas, a theme often repeated in our city as it represents the moment the Archangel Saint Raphael tells the saint that he will be the city’s guardian.

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament

An inscription on the arch leading into the Gospel apse, now the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, reminds us that the restructuring of this space was completed in 1761. The chapel’s apse is presided over by an altarpiece by Teodosio Sánchez de Rueda, made of gilded wood and adorned with small-format paintings and sculptures, with the central painting depicting the Last Supper standing out.

The walls are decorated with several paintings alluding to the evangelists, and one dedicated to Saint Acisclus and Saint Victoria, patron saints of Córdoba.

Main Altar

The highlight of the Main Altar is its altarpiece, which is peculiarly made of marble instead of the usual gilded wood. Completed in 1701, it is the work of Juan Navajas, who sculpted it along with Andrés Antonio del Pino and Toribio de Bada.

The altar consists of two tiers and three vertical sections, decorated with sculptures in niches. The composition is presided over by a small, beautifully crafted wooden Crucified Christ placed above the tabernacle; on either side are Saint Gabriel and Saint Joseph.

In the second tier, in the central scalloped niche, we find an Immaculate Conception, flanked in this case by the archangels Saint Michael and Saint Raphael.

Epistle Apse and Saint Joseph

The chosen place in the Church of San Miguel to venerate the figure of Saint Joseph was the Epistle Apse, undoubtedly the most austere of the apses, as only the simple decoration of the Gothic vaults above it may distract from the small image of the saint.

This anonymous polychrome wooden statue is embedded in a small niche in the wall itself, located under its sealed arrow slits. The saint is depicted holding a lily branch, his most characteristic attribute, as it was the one that allowed him to marry Mary.

Epistle Nave

In the epistle nave, we will highlight two paintings. The first is a very ancient 15th-century Virgin of the Milk, a theme widely used in the medieval period that depicts the Virgin breastfeeding the Child Jesus; the use of gold in both the fabrics and the background is noteworthy.

The second painting, in this case a fresco, is an Annunciation of Mary, represented in the presence of a figure situated behind the Angel of the Annunciation, whom we assume to be a donor. In our opinion, it is a very interesting and daring composition, as its anonymous author had to work within a very limited space, which did not prevent the creation of an architectural setting or even the depiction of God the Father.

Baptismal Chapel or Chapel of the Vargas

In the epistle nave is the Baptismal Chapel, which once belonged to Don Alfonso Díaz de Vargas, chamberlain to King Enrique, hence it is also known as the Chapel of the Vargas.

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

No less striking are the corbels found inside the mentioned squinches. Finally, a polychrome wooden statue representing the Virgin of Bethlehem, a mid-18th-century work attributed to Alonso Gómez de Sandoval, is the most noteworthy of the chapel’s movable assets.

Cultural Visit

If you are wondering what to do in Córdoba, we recommend visiting the Fernandine Churches by booking one of our guided tours. There we will dedicate a special chapter to the Church of San Miguel. Choose quality tourism with qualified personnel—don’t hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is the best option.

Text: J.A.S.C.