Vázquez de Molina Square, situated in
Úbeda (
Jaén), in the Autonomous Region of
Andalusia (
Spain), is one of the best examples of
Renaissance architecture in Spain. The
Spanish Renaissance architectural value of this square was one of the motives for
UNESCO's decision to declare Úbeda a
World Heritage site in July 2003.
Prominent buildings in this square are:
*Deán Ortega Palace (''Palacio del Deán Ortega''): a Renaissance palace designed by the Spanish architect
Andrés de Vandelvira in the 16th century. Presently, it is a
Parador hotel, one of the oldest in Spain.
*
Vázquez de Molina Palace
The Vazquez de Molina Palace, also known as the Palace of the Chains is a renaissance palace located in Vazquez de Molina Square in Úbeda (Jaén). It is considered to be one of the best examples of the Renaissance architecture in Spain.
Histor ...
(''Palacio de Vázquez de Molina''): another building in the Renaissance style designed by Vandelvira, also known as the Palace of the Chains (''Palacio de las Cadenas'') because of the decorative chains which once hung from its façade.
Juan Vázquez de Molina,
Philip II’s Secretary of State, ordered its construction. It currently serves as the seat of
Úbeda's municipal government.
*
BasÃlica de Santa MarÃa de los Reales Alcázares: a
church built on the ruins of
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or se ...
Úbeda's mosque. It incorporates several styles,
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
,
Renaissance and
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
. It was seriously damaged during the
Spanish Civil War. It has been closed for restoration since 1983.
*Holy Chapel of the Savior (''Sacra Capilla del Salvador''):
Francisco de los Cobos,
Charles V’s secretary, had this chapel built as his own
pantheon. It was designed by the architect
Diego de Siloé, and Vandelvira carried out its construction. This chapel is one of the town's most characteristic architectural monuments. Its façade, sculpted in stone by Esteban Jamate, is one of the most beautiful in
Andalusia.
Renaissance architecture in Spain
World Heritage Sites in Spain
Úbeda
Buildings and structures in Andalusia
Tourist attractions in Andalusia
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