The Chapel of San Bartolomé ( es, Capilla de San Bartolomé) is a funerary chapel in the historic centre of Córdoba, Spain. It is dated between 1390 and 1410. Richly decorated, it is one of the city's finest examples of Mudéjar art.

History

Located on the Calle Averroes in today's Faculty of Arts building, the relatively unknown chapel is one of the city's most notable monuments. With the development of the Alcázar Viejo district in 1391 and the later expulsion of the Jews from La Judería, the parish of San Bartolomé was established while a church of the same name was constructed between 1399 and 1410. The little building continued to operate as a parish church until the 17th century, possibly awaiting completion of a larger church. Restored in 1953 and 2006, the chapel is a fine example of ancient Mudéjar art.

Architecture

Rectangular in shape, the area is divided into two sections, one for the chapel itself, the other for a courtyard. Built of rusticated sandstone, the chapel has a rectangular floor measuring by . The chancel is slightly higher than the remainder of the building. There are two doors, one through a porch opening into a courtyard on Calle Averroes, the second, strangely locked from the outside, providing access into a side chapel which may have been connected to a

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

in another building. The entrance from the courtyard has a pointed arch with a few simple decorations while the other entrance, also pointed, has zigzag or sawtooth decorations. Two small columns bearing Islamic decorations with scrolls and leaves support the elegantly rib-vaulted ceiling. The interior walls are richly decorated with yeseria plasterwork and tiling while the floor is also decorated with alternating tiles. The wall decorations combine depictions of plants, geometric patterns and heraldry. The

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

belong to the

Knights of the Band The Order of the Band, Knights of the Band, or Equites Bindae, was a military order in Spain, instituted by Alfonso XI, King of Castile in 1332.''The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 6: c. 1300 - c. 1415'', Michael Jones (ed.) (Cambridge, 19 ...

, an order created by King Alfonso XI. Inscriptions are in both Kufic and Naskh scripts.

Listing

The chapel has been listed as a historic monument since 1931.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapel of San Bartolome Roman Catholic churches in Córdoba, Spain Roman Catholic chapels in Spain Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain) Azulejos in buildings in Andalusia Buildings and structures completed in 1410 Funerary art Mudéjar architecture in Andalusia