Santa María Magdalena (St Mary Magdalene Church) is a church in

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

, Spain, built in the Mudejar style. It forms part of the

Historic centre of Córdoba The historic centre of Córdoba, Spain is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. In 1984, UNESCO registered the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba as a World Heritage Site. A decade later, it expanded the inscription to include much of the old to ...

, a

UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...

site, and is named after Jesus' companion,

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

. The church of Santa Mariá Magdalena was one of the first of 12 churches

Fernando III 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 ...

built after conquering Córdoba in 1236. Located in the prosperous neighbourhood of La Magdelena east of the city centre, it served as a model for later churches. It combines the Romanesque,

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

and Mudejar styles of architecture. The main entrance is at the west end of the church below a

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

. The side door on the south side, the oldest in Córdoba, presents an

alfiz The alfiz (, from Andalusi Arabic ''alḥíz'', from Standard Arabic ''alḥáyyiz'', meaning 'the container';Al ...

with decorations of pointed diamonds. The 17th-century tower consists of sections which become narrower towards the top. While there is little documentary evidence of the history of the church, it is known that its construction was well advanced by the end of the 13th century. Over the years, the building has undergone several transformations. The

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, 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 us ...

is an addition from the early 16th century while plastered ceiling vaults were added in the 18th century, covering the medieval woodwork until they were recently removed. In 1990, the church was seriously damaged by fire. Thereafter it was no longer used as a church and was deconsecrated. Now owned by the Cajasur bank, it is a venue for concerts and other cultural events. File:Église de la Magdalena de Cordoue 01.JPG, Side door decorated with pointed diamonds File:Iglesia de la Magdalena (Córdoba, Spain).jpg, West wall File:Torre de la Iglesia de la Magdalena (Córdoba, Spain).jpg, Tower File:Iglesia de la Magdalena (Córdoba) 2.jpg, Chancel wall File:Cordoue - église de la Magdalena 03.JPG, Rose window

References

Literature

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Magdalena, Santa, Cordoba Historic centre of Córdoba, Spain Roman Catholic churches in Córdoba, Spain Mudéjar architecture in Andalusia Maria Magdalena Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain)