The Posada del Potro, its history with Cervantes and flamenco

The first documentary reference to the building dates from 1381, when it is cited as the inn of Doña Teresa. In the mid-15th century it came to be called the inn of La Pastora, then the inn of La Catalana and, by the end of that century, the inn of El Potro, the name that has survived to this day.

Its type corresponds to the old Islamic funduqs or alhóndigas, buildings designed to lodge travellers and goods around a central courtyard, with stables and storerooms on the ground floor and rooms above. For much of its history it combined lodging with other uses, including that of a brothel, a reality linked to the picaresque atmosphere later reflected in Golden Age literature.

The inn continued to operate as lodging until 1972. Córdoba City Council acquired the property in December 1971 and commissioned its first restoration from the architect José Antonio Gómez-Luengo, completed in 1973. A second renovation, between 2006 and 2010, prepared the building for its current cultural use.

Miguel de Cervantes cites the potro of Córdoba in two passages of Don Quixote. In the first part, chapter III, the innkeeper lists the places across Spain where he has been a rogue, among them the "Potro of Córdoba and the ventillas of Toledo", within a list of spots associated with the underworld of the time.

Later, in chapter XVII of the same first part, there is another reference to the holes of the Potro of Córdoba during the episode of Sancho Panza's blanket-tossing. Both mentions place the square and its inn within the picaresque imagination that Cervantes knew from his own travels around Andalusia.

It is common to find in guides and tourist leaflets the claim that the inn also appears in Rinconete y Cortadillo, another of Cervantes' works starring two young thieves. That exemplary novel is set in Seville and there is no textual evidence of a direct mention of the Posada del Potro of Córdoba in it, so that claim should be treated with caution.

The building preserves the typical structure of popular Cordoban housing of the 14th and 15th centuries, with whitewashed walls and a courtyard at the heart of the building. Today it combines that architectural value with its current function as a centre devoted to flamenco, which means it can be visited both for its architecture and for its cultural programme.

Those who prefer to explore it on their own can focus on the courtyard and the original galleries; those looking for more historical and literary context have the option of adding the guided visit at the end of this article.

The central courtyard, heir to the tradition of Islamic alhóndigas, was originally surrounded by stables and storerooms on the ground floor and rooms for guests in the upper gallery. This layout, with open corridors around the courtyard, is the same one later adopted by the Cordoban communal houses of the following centuries.

After ceasing to operate as an inn in 1972 and undergoing its two restorations, the building hosted various cultural activities during the 1980s and 1990s before finding a stable use. That transitional stage was key to preserving the courtyard and galleries that can be seen on the visit today.

Since 3 June 2013, the Posada del Potro has been home to the Fosforito Flamenco Centre, dedicated to Antonio Fernández Díaz, "Fosforito", a flamenco singer born in Puente Genil. The centre traces the history of flamenco in rooms spread over two floors, with spaces devoted to singing, dancing and guitar, as well as a specialised library of more than 500 volumes.

The Posada del Potro - Fosforito Flamenco Centre is at Plaza del Potro, 10, and depends on Córdoba City Council's Culture Department, which answers queries on 957 476 829.

Opening hours and ticket prices vary with the season and the programme. Before your visit it is worth confirming them on the centre's official website or by calling directly, especially if you want to coincide with one of the live flamenco performances the venue schedules.

The inn is in Plaza del Potro, in the heart of Córdoba's historic centre and a short walk from the Mosque-Cathedral. The square owes its name to an old livestock fair and to the 1577 Renaissance fountain topped by a sculpture of a colt, today its most recognisable feature.

In the same square, without moving to another part of the city, are also the Córdoba Museum of Fine Arts and the Julio Romero de Torres Museum, housed in the former Hospital de la Caridad founded by the Catholic Monarchs at the end of the 15th century. The three buildings make Plaza del Potro a stop with three different attractions on the same walk.

Plaza del Potro and its buildings are best explored as part of a wider walk through the historic centre of Córdoba, combining the Posada del Potro with the two neighbouring museums and the rest of the Jewish Quarter and Mosque surroundings.

The Free Tour of Córdoba covers the main corners of the historic centre in about 2 hours, with a voluntary tip of 10 to 15 euros per person at the end of the visit. It is the most flexible option for a guided look at the surroundings of the Posada del Potro, without committing in advance to a timetable or a fixed price.

Anyone who prefers a guided route can book the Free Tour of Córdoba and discover the Posada del Potro, Plaza del Potro and its two museums on the same walk through the historic centre.

The Posada del Potro is in a very practical spot for continuing to visit the historic centre without breaking the route. If you would like to link it with one of our experiences, the most natural option is the free tour of Córdoba.

If you want to get to know it with more context, the best way is to book the free tour of Córdoba or a guided tour of the Jewish Quarter with an official guide.