San Lorenzo Church, Córdoba, Spain

San Lorenzo was one of the twelve religious buildings commissioned by king Ferdinand III of Castile in the city after its conquest in the early 13th century.

The church occupies the site of a pre-existing Islamic mosque, which in turn had been built above a Visigothic church. It was built between around 1244 and 1300, in a transitional style between Romanesque and Gothic architecture. It has the typical structure of Andalusian churches of the period, featuring a rectangular plan with a nave and two aisles, without transept and an apse.

It has a portico with three slightly ogival arcades, added in the 16th century. The Islamic minaret was converted into a Renaissance bell tower by Hernán Ruiz the Younger. Above the portico is the large Gothic-Mudéjar rose window. The nave has a coffered ceiling in Mudéjar-Renaissance style. The apse has 14th century paintings inspired by the Italian Gothic school, depicting Scenes of the Life of Jesus. There are also figures of saints and prophets with gilt halos, and a decoration imitating Byzantine azulejos. the high altar (17th century) has scenes of the life of St. Lawrence.

References:

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Religious sites in Spain

User Reviews

Kent B (11 months ago)
Another beautiful church in Cordoba. No one checked my ticket at this one. I had my ticket checked at several other churches. It’s included with the 13 euro ticket for the big church

Caspar Dechmann (17 months ago)
This church may be the most beautiful one in Córdoba (the Mesquita is only beautiful as a mosque), especially for the angels in the choir. The ticket system is very odd though: you can only get in with a ticket for the mesquita! Or that was the information of the lady. Otherwise it would be 5 Euros what is definitely stretching it too far. Even if you enjoy the church you wouldn’t stay longer then 15 or 20 minutes. If you have the Mesquita-ticket it is a good deal. Strangely in no other of the included churches anybody asked for a ticket.

Evgheni K (2 years ago)
Another amazing example of the fantastic mixture of Christianity and Islam in Cordoba. Part of the Fernandine Route to which the holders of tickets to Mezquite have free access. A very knowledgeable and friendly gatekeeper explained a lot about the history of the church

Priscila Radu (2 years ago)
Fantastic church and my favourite on the Fernandine route. Although not a tour guide, Ana has gone above and beyond explaining the rich history of the decorations and the significance behind the saint statues. Her friendliness and passion greatly enhanced our visit!

Sharon Hiemeleers (4 years ago)
Beautiful!

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