The Milk Gate

On the western side of the Mosque-Cathedral, just a few meters from the northern wall of the Patio de los Naranjos, we find the Postigo de la Leche. A postern gate whose original appearance is almost completely unknown, although much of the structure built by Hernán Ruiz I the Elder has survived, from when he remodeled it during the time of Bishop Don Juan Daza, around the year 1505–1510.

Architectural Description

According to its structure and decoration, we are looking at a construction composed of two sections. The first is dominated by a narrow lintelled opening, decorated at the top with moldings forming a sort of ogee arch framed in an alfiz, all crowned at the center with a simple floral ornament. Above, the same ogee arch pattern appears again over fine moldings, but this time it leads to an elegant cornice, decorated with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures, giving way to the second section. The whole structure is topped by a semicircular arch slightly wider than the entrance portico, ornamented inside with curved moldings that play with concave and convex shapes.

Traditions and Historical Theories

There are numerous theories and references made by historians and scholars of the monument regarding this old Postigo de la Leche. It is said that during the most impoverished times of Córdoba, women who could not care for their newborn children would come and leave them on the steps of the postern gate, hoping that someone close to the Chapter of the Mosque-Cathedral, and therefore financially capable, would take an interest in them. A well-known, albeit hardly credible, story tells that one night, a herd of pigs passed by the area, pounced on the children, and killed many of them. The event shocked the city, to the point that Dean Don Juan Fernández de Córdoba established the House of the Foundlings for this purpose.

On the other hand, there is a theory that the Postigo de la Leche gets its name because nursing mothers used to take shelter inside from bad weather, waiting to be hired by the Foundling Home.

Visiting the Postigo de la Leche

If you wish to visit the Postigo de la Leche and therefore the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, do not hesitate to book one of our guided tours. 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.