Church of San Andrés, one of the fourteen Fernandine churches of Córdoba

The first documentary references to the Church of San Andrés date from 1246, barely a decade after the Christian conquest of Córdoba in 1236. The church was built on the remains of the old basilica of San Zoilo, next to the route of the Roman Via Augusta. By 1277 the building had six clergymen serving worship, confirming that the parish was fully active barely forty years after the Reconquest.

The tower keeps its lower section from the 16th century, while the upper body dates from the 17th century. The original Gothic façade, with a pointed arch, dates back to 1489 and remained hidden for centuries under later reforms until it was rediscovered in 1928.

The most profound transformation of the building came at the beginning of the 18th century. The old medieval church became the transept of a new temple, changing its orientation from east-west to north-south. The project was directed by the masters of the Córdoba bishopric Juan and Luis de Aguilar, commissioned by Bishop Marcelino Siuri, and was completed in 1755.

The Church of San Andrés has been listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest, in the Monument category, since 6 April 1985, with code RI-51-0005066, within the joint protection of the Fernandine churches of Córdoba.

The church is easily covered in a short visit of barely twenty or thirty minutes, following a logical order from the façade to the chapels inside. These are the four stops not to skip.

The gilded main altarpiece, in Churrigueresque style, was designed by the sculptor Pedro Duque Cornejo in 1755, coinciding with the completion of the church's renovation. The composition is presided over by a crucifix flanked by angels, together with images of the archangels Raphael and Michael, carved with the dynamism characteristic of Cordoban Baroque of the period.

The tower combines two building phases: the lower part, from the 16th century, and the upper body, from the 17th century. The main doorway, Baroque and also from the 17th century, bears the coat of arms of Bishop Marcelino Siuri above the entrance arch, together with an image of Saint Andrew with the book and the saltire cross that identify him.

The Sagrario occupies the former central apse of the medieval church and keeps a polychrome wooden altarpiece completed in 1739. Around it are other chapels, such as that of the Buen Suceso, with images from the 17th century, and that of La Esperanza, with sculptures from 1947 and 1954 by Juan Martínez Cerrillo.

The church also holds a notable collection of religious painting, with works from the school of Pablo de Céspedes such as "The Imposition of the Chasuble on Saint Ildefonsus", by Juan de Peñalosa, alongside canvases by Antonio Monroy and Antonio del Castillo.

The font in this chapel bears the engraved date 1793, and it is still where the parish celebrates baptisms today.

The visit to the Church of San Andrés is free. As part of the Fernandine Churches Route, the church opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00.

Outside those hours, the church remains open for worship Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 20:00 and on Sundays from 11:00 to 13:00. Weekday masses are at 19:30 in winter (October to May) and at 20:30 in summer (June to 20 September), with Sunday mass at 12:00 all year round.

The parish is at Plaza de San Andrés, s/n, and can also be reached on 957 48 09 95 for specific queries about capacity or religious events that may affect the visit.

The Church of San Andrés is in the Realejo district, some way from the immediate surroundings of the Mosque-Cathedral and closer to another group of Fernandine churches. A short walk away is the Church of San Pablo, and in the same area you can link up with San Lorenzo and San Agustín, which makes it possible to plan a walking route around several Fernandine churches in one morning.

Because of its slightly more peripheral location relative to the monumental historic centre, it is a stop that combines well with a guided walk through the centre of Córdoba before or after coming here.

If after seeing San Andrés you fancy exploring the rest of Córdoba's historic centre with a guide's commentary, the Free Tour of Córdoba covers the monumental centre in about 2 hours, with a suggested voluntary tip of 10 to 15 euros per person.

It is a flexible way to link the Fernandine heritage with the best-known points of the city, with no fixed entry cost and a final contribution adapted to what the visit was worth to you.