Trinidad Square

Dominating and naming Trinidad Square, the Church of San Juan y Todos los Santos (Saint John and All Saints) previously belonged to the Convent of Trinitarians, which was founded by Fernando III the Saint himself after conquering the city in 1236.

We barely have any evidence of how the primitive church of the Trinitarian convent looked like, but we do know that already in the 16th century, the ceiling collapsed unveiling the inside and, thanks to the generous donations of Martín de Córdoba and his daughter Doña Teresa, the church could be repaired, and it was in perfect conditions in the middle of the century. But the repair was not very good, as according to written sources, a century later, the church was in ruins. In this case they decided to create a church with a new floor. The works lasted more than ten years, and it was opened on the feast of the Holy Trinity in 1705.

The church, as we know it today, has a Latin-crossed floor with only one nave, covered by a barrel vault with lunettes. At the foot of the church we can see the choir over a basket vault, in this case with lunettes decorated with fresco paintings, as all the walls were allegedly decorated. The transept is covered by a vault over pendentives. From the inside we can highlight the Santísimo Cristo de la Salud (Holy Christ of Health), an anonymous work from the 18th century, main image of the brotherhood of Vía Crucis. Belonging to the neighbouring brotherhood of La Santa Faz (The Holy Face), we can mention the images of Ntro. Padre Jesús Nazareno (Our Father Jesus Nazarene), by Antonio Dubé de Luque, and María Santísima de la Trinidad (Holy Mary of Trinity), by Antonio Salto, both contemporary. The images of these two brotherhoods, from Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday respectively, will be explained in detail in the section dedicated to Holy Week.

The magnificent church constrasts, to a great extent, with its white façade, bulky but restrained at the same time, finished by a great triangular pediment, where the only decoration consists of two oculi and a round central opening. The entrance has a round arch flanked by pairs of Doric columns, over which there is a frieze with triglyphs and plain metopes. From the second section, we can mention the use of the Solomon column, which is allegedly the first time it was used in the city, and a sculptural group in an alcove, where an angel wearing Trinitarian habit is helping two captives, a symbol of the main purpose of the order. The bell gable, more in line with the façade, stands out for its simplicity.

In Trinidad Square, opposite the mentioned church, we can see the old Palace of the Dukes of Hornachuelos or House of the Hoces, a noble building whose appearance is due to a remodeling carried out in 1965, aiming at adapting the building to be an Art School. From the old building we have only preserved part of the façade, the main stairway and the garden. Inside, thanks to two commemorative plaques, two distinguished artists are remembered, who studied in these classrooms: Mateo Inurria Lainosa, who was its director for several years and who the school is named after, and Julio Romero de Torres (Go to Museum), teacher, although in its other building on Agustín Moreno Street, which is also currently in use.

But the popular Trinidad Square, which fortunately belongs to the growing group of squares restricted to traffic, has another surprise, the memory of one of the most remembered and admired in the city, Luis de Góngora. He died near this square, in a house located in the former de las Campanas (Bells) Street– because of the bells in the bell gable of the Trinitarian Church-, which is today called Sánchez de Feria Street. We can see there a simple and emotional plaque with the words: “Here the distinguished poet from Córdoba Luis de Góngora y Argote died on 23rd May 1627, and writers and lovers of Letters dedicate this memory to him“.

As we said, the memory the square keeps is a beautiful sculpture made by Amadeo Ruiz Olmos from Valencia in 1967, who, curiously, was also a teacher in the school. According to some chronicles, the day of the opening a great number of important people from the Arts gathered in the square, such as Dámaso Alonso. The occasion deserved it.

If you are wondering what to do in Córdoba, we recommend you visit Trinidad Square hiring one of our guided tours. Choose to do high quality sightseeing with qualified staff. Do not hesitate, ArtenCórdoba is the best option.

Text: J.A.S.C.