The floor of the Church of San Pedro has three naves, the central one being wider and higher than the rest. They are connected among them through round arches supported by big square pillars, with two columns and two pillars attached to their front, a Romanesque tradition. The central nave is covered by a wooden ceiling reinforced with horizontal beams and paired braces.

The apse has a central polygonal apse which can be seen from the outside, where it is reinforced with buttresses. On both sides there are two other apses, rectangular from the outside and semicircular inside. This clearly old-fashioned solution can be seen in other temples, such as the Church of San Pablo. The arches at the entrance are also pointed, moulded through the combination of scotias and small columns, whereas the central one is decorated in zig-zag and diamond ends.

The covering of the central apse, through a Gothic ribbed vault, was finished in the 14th century, as the use of the rib, influence from Burgos, spread in our city at that time. On the other hand, the spaces between the voussoirs are more pointed than in the side apses, and even the small columns of the ribs are thinner; this also makes us think that they were built later.

The side façades of the Church of San Pedro have a pointed arch over stepped jambs, thus showing a slight splaying. In both cases, over them we can see a small roof supported by round modillions divided in two through a plain stripe.

As we already mentioned in the previous section, the façade does not belong to the initial period of the building, as it was built by Hernán Ruiz II the Young around the year 1542. However, we can clearly appreciate some elements which were very frequently used by the architect from Córdoba in many of his works, such as the “serliana” which in this case is at the top of the façade, and which can also be seen in the Belfry tower of the Mosque-Cathedral.

The façade of the Church of San Pedro has two buttresses on both sides, decorated with attached pilasters and different geommetrical elements, which divide it in three parts. We will pay special attention to the central one, where the entrance is. This entrance consists of two parts and three vertical sections clearly distinguished. In the first part, conceived as a triumphal arch, we can highlight four columns with grooved shaft and Corinthian capital over a big skirting board, holding a continuous entablature decorated with circular motifs. There are two empty alcoves on the sides, highlighting the entrance round opening, where the keystone decorated with a corbel stands out.

The second part consists of a “serliana”, that is, a central round arch, flanked by two lintelled elements. In the central alcove there is a sculpture of “San Pedro“, holding the keys of the Earthly and Celestial Worlds. Two columns with Corinthian capital and two pilasters support a frieze decorated with garlands. The entrance is crowned by a triangular pediment with Grotesques at the top. Over it, there is an exceptional rose window which was added in the last restoration, following the example of other rose windows from the time of the Reconquest, such as the one in the churches of Santa Marina or San Miguel.

The Church of San Pedro does not have a belfry tower. Instead, on the side of the Epistle, there is a bell gable with two bells sections, decorated with plain pilasters and a triangular pediment at the top.

If you are wondering what to visit in Córdoba, a good option would be the Fernandine Churches, choosing one of our guided tours. This way you will know everything about the Church of San Pedro. Choosing to do high quality sightseeing is choosing ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.