The Church of San Pedro (Saint Peter), named in 2006 Minor Basilica, was erected in the neighbourhood with the same name, next to the other thirteen recognized by King Fernando III the Saint. The church is located in San Pedro Square, a small expansion where it stands out over the other adjoining buildings of the neighbourhood of the Ajerquía. Near Corredera Square and Feria Street, two of the most popular commercial areas, it soon became an area of great vitality and one of the most active in the city.

The building was erected on the remains of a temple, from Mozarabic period, which is thought to have had the remains of the first martyrs of our city: Faust, Januario and Marcial, who died in Roman times. The first works were carried out in the second half of the 13th century; in fact, we have evidence of them from 1264, when a priest of San Pedro mentions the building in his writings.

From the beginning, the church experienced numerous transformations, due to a faulty building of its foundations, which caused some subsidences. In the middle of the 16th century, Hernán Ruiz II rebuilt the façade completely, thus giving the Church of San Pedro a completely different look to the one it originally had. The work was sponsored by Bishop Leopoldo de Austria, an interesting figure, as he also sponsored several other works in the Fernandine Churches of the time.

Some elements were added with time, such as the Chapel of Baptism, from the 17th century, Baroque vaults which hid the Mudejar ceilings, from the 18th century, and even the parish rooms, from the 19th century. The last interventions have been aimed at showing an approach as loyal as possible of the original appearance of the building, as well as reinforcing its structures and making it possible to worship in it.

The typical structure of Arab cities had a strong influence in some areas of Córdoba, like this one, which were characterized by its irregular streets. A clear evidence of this unique kind of urban planning are Toril or Prensa Streets. This style was deeply rooted in a great part of our city, where that disorder was not due to an anarchic building, but to other reasons, such as an easy defense or a better adaptation of these houses to hot climates.

At the back of the Church of San Pedro there is Aguayos Square, named after the magnificent House of the Aguayos. Its Mudejar façade was erected in the 16th century, and it was combined with medieval and Renaissance elements, such as the medallions at the top of the façade with the family’s crests. It is currently La Sagrada Familia School.

The fact that we can appreciate numerous buildings which belonged to the higher classes is due to the process of repopulating, where the Royalty gave the best fields and the most important buildings to the nobles who supported them, and their heirs inherited them.

If you wish to know the Fernandine Churches do not hesitate to hire one of our guided tours. We will pay special attention to the Church of San Pedro. We are experts in the interpretation of the historical heritage from Córdoba. If you have chosen to do sightseeing in Córdoba, choose a high quality option, choose ArtenCórdoba.

Text: J.A.S.C.