The Cathedral of the Assumption (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ) is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

cathedral located in the city of Jaén, Spain. The current cathedral was conceived in the

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

to replace a previous

15th century The 15th century was the century which spans the Julian calendar dates from 1 January 1401 (represented by the Roman numerals MCDI) to 31 December 1500 (MD). In Europe, the 15th century includes parts of the Late Middle Ages, the Early Re ...

Gothic edifice. Construction lasted for several centuries, with the original idea maintained. Of significance are the

chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...

and sacristy, masterpieces of Andrés de Vandelvira and important examples of the

Spanish Renaissance The Spanish Renaissance was a movement in Spain, emerging from the Italian Renaissance in Italy during the 14th century, that spread to Spain during the 15th and 16th centuries. This new focus in art, literature, Quotation, quotes and scienc ...

; the façade, built in the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style with sculptures by Pedro Roldán; and the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

, built in the Neoclassical style and known as one of the largest in

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. Kept in the cathedral is a copy of the

Veil of Veronica The Veil of Veronica, or (Latin for sweat-cloth), also known as the Vernicle, the Veronica and the Holy Face, is a Christian relic consisting of a piece of cloth said to bear an image of the Holy Face of Jesus produced by other than human mea ...

which probably dates from the 14th century, and originated in Siena. Acquired by Bishop Nicolás de Biedma, it is publicly displayed to the people every year on Good Friday and the Feast of the Assumption, as well as in a side chapel every Friday.

History

The site was once occupied by a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

, which was reconsecrated as a church dedicated to the Assumption after

Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III (; 1199/120130 May 1252), called the Saint (''el Santo''), was King of Castile from 1217 and King of León from 1230 as well as King of Galicia from 1231. He was the son of Alfonso IX of León and Berengaria of Castile. Through his ...

took Jaén in 1246. It was damaged and rebuilt on numerous occasions since until the 16th century, when the current edifice began construction. Several architects were involved in building the cathedral, Andrés de Vandelvira being the most important one. The distinctive façade, designed by Eufrasio López de Rojas, only began construction in 1660, after the cathedral itself was already consecrated; further works involving interior decoration and the chapels would only conclude in 1724. In addition, consolidation works were necessary to the north façade after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, which also led to the construction of the Sagrario there. The young Francisco Guerrero was the ''maestro de capilla'' of Jaén Cathedral around 1545. In 2008, the procedure for the cathedral of Jaén to be declared a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

, considering that it served as a model for the construction of other cathedrals in

and the

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. On 27 January 2012 the «Jaén Cathedral (extension of the Renaissance monumental complex of Úbeda and Baeza)» was inscribed on the Spanish Indicative List of

s, in the category of cultural property (No. ref 5667).

Church of the Sagrario

The Church of the Sagrario (

: ) is a building attached to the north facade of the cathedral, made due to the unevenness and damage caused by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The project for this work was designed by the Madrid architect

Ventura Rodríguez Ventura Rodríguez Tizón (July 14, 1717 – September 26, 1785) was a Spanish architect and artist. Born at Ciempozuelos, Rodríguez was the son of a bricklayer. In 1727, he collaborated with his father in the work at the Royal Palace of Ar ...

in 1764 and executed by his nephew Manuel Martín Rodríguez. It was consecrated on 22 March 1801.

Gallery

Jaen Cathedral 2023 - retrochoir.jpg, Retrochoir. Jaen Cathedral 2023 - choir.jpg, Choir. Jaen Cathedral 2023 - lantern.jpg, Lantern. Jaen Cathedral 2023 - view from castle.jpg, View from the castle. Jaen Cathedral 2023 - west façade night.jpg, Main façade at night.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaen Cathedral 1724 establishments in Spain Roman Catholic churches completed in 1724 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Churches converted from mosques Renaissance architecture in Andalusia Roman Catholic cathedrals in Andalusia Roman Catholic churches in Andalusia Former mosques in Spain Buildings and structures in Jaén, Spain Veil of Veronica