CHURCH OF SAN PABLO, CORDOBA

This church was built as the church of the former Dominican convent of San Pablo, founded after the Christian conquest by Ferdinand III the Saint. Its origins are tied to that early Christian Cordoba, and the complex was built over the remains of the Roman circus and a later Almohad Islamic-era site.

From 1236 it functioned as the convent church, and although its foundations are Gothic, it underwent major alterations in the 17th century, which explain the mix of styles visible today.

In the 19th century, with the disentailment, the convent disappeared and the building went through a period of neglect and decay until the restorations of the 20th century. Of the whole convent complex, the parish church has been preserved, and features of the former convent, such as the cloister and the gardens, have been restored and are now open to the public.

REVIEW: CAN MORE DETAIL BE ADDED FOR EACH POINT? FOR THE GUIDE

A visit to the Church of San Pablo takes place Monday to Friday: it's closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Hours change by season.

In winter, it opens from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00. In summer, hours are 9:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 19:00.

Access uses a single ticket linked to the Mosque-Cathedral, priced at €13 per person. That's the ticket used for the churches route and it includes access to San Pablo as part of that system. It's bought at the Episcopal Palace at Calle Torrijos, 12, and it must be purchased after getting the Mosque-Cathedral ticket.

From Plaza de las Tendillas, head down Calle Claudio Marcelo towards the historic centre. When you reach the junction, turn left onto Calle Capitulares and continue a short way towards the City Hall area. The Church of San Pablo is on Calle Capitulares, opposite the City Hall, and you'll recognise it by its large stone and marble façade, the ironwork gate, the two Solomonic columns and the image of San Pablo at the top.

RECOMMENDED TOUR TO UNDERSTAND SAN PABLO AND THE FERDINAND-ERA CHURCHES ROUTE

If you're planning to include San Pablo as part of the Ferdinand-era churches route, the best way is to do it with a walking tour of the historic centre that brings order to the visit. There are details in San Pablo that make much more sense when someone points out which part belonged to the former convent, why medieval, Renaissance and Baroque styles coexist, and where the truly important pieces are, such as the Virgen de las Angustias by Juan de Mesa or the 1536 Mudéjar coffered ceiling.