Royal Collegiate Church of San Hipólito

King Alfonso XI made a promise, in the midst of the Battle of Salado, that if he achieved victory, he would build a Collegiate Church in honor of Saint Hippolytus, on whose feast day, August 13, he had been born in the year 1311. Ramírez de las Casas Deza tells us that, by royal decree given in Alcalá de Henares on January 25, 1348, the construction of the church was ordered. A year earlier, Pope Clement VI had given the monarch full authority to appoint a Prior and nine canons, who would be responsible for the collegiate church.

Preserved Medieval Architecture

Of the Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus erected by Alfonso XI, only its apse and the arms of the transept remain. A large pointed triumphal arch leads to the apse of the church, which has a polygonal plan covered by a Gothic ribbed vault, composed of ribs decorated with sawtooth designs that spring from leafy Gothic capitals and a central spine. The walls are pierced by fine and elegant twin openings topped with pointed arches.

The 18th-Century Baroque Church

In 1729, work began on the new church, led by architect Juan de Aguilar. The plan was a Latin cross with a single nave, as wide as the apse, and covered by a barrel vault with lunettes. The portal features a lowered semicircular arch, whose spandrels are decorated with geometric motifs, as are the pilasters that flank them. A second level is based on a split circular pediment, featuring a stone image of the church’s patron saint in a niche. The rest of the façade, topped by a triangular pediment, is decorated with fine and elegant decorative plaques, elements widely used in Córdoba at the time, which gave rise to the term Córdoba plaque Baroque style.

The Bell Tower

In 1773, the Chapter of the Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus decided to demolish the old tower and, on its foundations, build a new one. The master chosen for this task was Don Pedro de Lara, who designed an exquisite four-tiered tower, of which only two were built, as it stands today. The first tier is a rectangular prism about 15 meters high, with no decoration other than small empty frames inside or the corbels that support the cornice leading to the second tier. This tier features three plain pilasters with Tuscan capitals on each side, between which two semicircular arches open, that is, eight openings in total for eight bells. Above the pilasters is an entablature of triglyphs and plain metopes, supporting the cornice that crowns the structure.

Royal Burials

When King Ferdinand IV died in Jaén in 1312, it was decided to bury him in Córdoba, as the high temperatures made a transfer to Seville or Toledo, the capital, unfeasible. Years later, in 1350, his son Alfonso XI, founder of the Collegiate Church, died while besieging Gibraltar due to the plague. His remains were transferred to the Royal Chapel of Seville, where they rested until 1371, when they were moved to Córdoba, the very year when work on the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Córdoba was completed, so the bodies of both monarchs were placed there.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the canons of the Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus requested King Philip V to merge the foundations of the Collegiate Church and the Royal Chapel, in order to transfer the remains of the kings there, as was Alfonso XI’s wish. Philip V granted the canons’ request and sought the necessary permissions from Pope Benedict XIII, so the bodies were transferred on August 8, 1736.

For over a century, the kings lay in the church presbytery in simple wooden coffins, where they were displayed to visitors. It was not until 1846 that the Monuments Commission arranged for the current tombs, made of red marble. On the Gospel side is the tomb of Alfonso XI, while on the Epistle side is that of Ferdinand IV.

Visiting the Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus

If you are wondering what to do in Córdoba, we recommend visiting the Collegiate Church of Saint Hippolytus by booking one of our guided tours. Choose quality tourism with qualified staff; don’t hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is the best option.

Text: J.A.S.C.