The Royal Chapel

In the year 1312, King Ferdinand IV died in Jaén. Initially, it was decided to bury the monarch in Seville or Toledo, the capital, but finally, the decision was made to lay him to rest in Córdoba, the nearest city, due to the intense heat that was affecting the peninsula at the time. His successor, Alfonso XI, expressed years later his wish to be buried next to his father; when he died in 1350, his remains were placed in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Seville but, in 1371, they were transferred to Córdoba as per his wishes.

The Royal Chapel and Royal Burials

Coincidentally, the completion date of the Royal Chapel coincides with the transfer of Alfonso XI to the city. In fact, an inscription still remains on the base of the chapel which reads: “This is the very high King Don Enrique (Henry II). In honor of the body of the king his father, he ordered this chapel to be built. It was finished in the year 1371.” The remains of the monarchs were transferred in 1736 to the church of the Collegiate Church of San Hipólito by express order of Philip V. Nowadays, both tombs can be visited, as they are on display at the ends of the chancel of said church.

Architecture of the Royal Chapel

The Royal Chapel of the Mosque-Cathedral has a square floor plan that rises vertically above the arcades of the mosque of Alhaken II, and is annexed on its western side to the Chapel of Villaviciosa. The floor level is raised several meters above that of the Cathedral, leaving the crypt that once held the tombs beneath the surface. The upper part of the chapel was accessed by a staircase from the side annexed to the Chapel of Villaviciosa, but this access was destroyed in the 19th century. This, along with the closure of the North and South sides, almost completely altered the original configuration of the space.

Decoration and Style

Before analyzing the decoration of the Royal Chapel, it is important to note that it was adorned according to the prevailing mudéjar style of the Royal Household at the time, as also seen in the construction of the Gate of Forgiveness. A beautifully tiled baseboard, featuring intricate geometric decoration made with interlacing, diamonds, and crests, ran along the perimeter of the chapel, and above it began the decoration of the four walls:

East Wall

An original plaster frieze featuring heraldic motifs of Castile and León, Arabic epigraphic decoration, and lobed arches runs along the East wall. From this same frieze, five polylobed arches are irregularly arranged, from which a diamond pattern on a background of ataurique develops. In the center of the wall, there is a niche covered by a cusped arch, housing a polychrome wooden sculpture of “Ferdinand III the Saint“.

West Wall

On the West wall of the Royal Chapel, a large implied horseshoe arch stands out, inside which were formerly the two access openings to the chapel, which were sealed in the 19th century. The aforementioned inscription of Henry II can also be seen, which allows us to date the construction to the year 1371.

North and South Walls

The shorter sides, North and South, have similar layouts. The spandrels of the polylobed arches feature plasterwork with leaf motifs on an ataurique background, above which runs a frieze of muqarnas. Both walls are topped with two sealed cusped arches, decorated with diamond-shaped motifs and supported on both sides by half lion figures.

The Vault of the Royal Chapel

The Royal Chapel is crowned by an exceptional vault formed by a total of eight cusped arches, four of which are arranged perpendicularly to the walls, while the remaining four are arranged diagonally. In this way, each side is divided into four equal parts, in which the various lighting openings of the chapel are set. A large number of these openings were altered in the 18th century, although remnants of the original horseshoe arches can still be seen.

Visiting the Royal Chapel

If you’re unsure what to do in Córdoba, we recommend visiting the Mosque-Cathedral by booking one of our guided tours. There, we will dedicate a special segment to the Royal Chapel. Choose to do quality tourism with qualified personnel — don’t hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is the best option.

Text: J.A.S.C.