Although it is close to Córdoba, impresses with its olive groves, mountainous landscapes and wealth of multicultural architecture, and offers extensive accommodation, tourists do not often visit. The province of Jaen is the undiscovered pearl of Andalusia. At its heart is the multifaceted Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Jaen is the world’s largest producer of olive oil and, at the same time, a place where you can admire a wonderful heritage of intermingling diverse cultures. When in the regional capital, it is impossible not to notice the castle (Castillo de Santa Catalina) perched on a hill, the stunning 11th-century Arab baths and the huge, elaborately decorated cathedral. It is this that we will tell you about today.
The majestic heart of Jaen
In the central square – Plaza de Santa María – stands the 16th century jewel of Andalusian architecture, the Cathedral of the Assumption (Catedral de la Asunción). It was built on the site of a mosque demolished during the Reconquista, and its foundations were laid shortly after the expulsion of the Moors. The original design of the building, with its distinctly Gothic features, was carried out by the esteemed Spanish architect Andrés de Vandelvir, but as the construction of the cathedral itself took a century and a half, over time it took on Renaissance and – to a lesser extent – Baroque features.
The cathedral is striking for its immensity. It was intended to be a spacious place to accommodate thousands of worshippers coming from all over Europe. Why this interest in the temple? Well, it is here that a relic of great importance to the Catholic world is kept – the Santo Rostro, the handkerchief with which Saint Veronica wiped Christ’s face on his way to Golgotha.
Characteristic elements of this sacred building are the two majestic towers, the elaborately decorated portals and the façade, reminiscent of the decorations known from the Vatican Basilica, with its Baroque sculptures of the Evangelists, the Fathers of the Church and the conqueror of the city, Ferdinand III (his gaze is directed, not coincidentally, towards the former Moorish fortress, the Castillo de Santa Catalina). The creator of these sculpted figures adorning the façade was the 17th-century Sevillian artist Pedro Roldán.
The artistry of the Andalusian masters
The interiors of Jaen Cathedral impress with their undying artistry. It is impossible not to notice the Baroque and Neo-Classical chapels, the breathtaking Baroque-Mannerist dome, the monumental choir (one of the largest in Spain), the beautiful chapter-house or the magnificent 16th-century stalls in the presbytery. Nor should we forget the most important element that has contributed to placing this place among the most important points on the Christian map of the world, the Capilla Mayor, which houses the shawl of Saint Veronica with the reflection of Christ’s face.
When spending your holidays in Andalusia, it is worth remembering Jaen and visiting this picturesque town if only to visit this monumental building, so emphatically linked to the region’s fascinating history. This is especially true given that, in 2007, the cathedral was one of the finalists in a competition to select Spain’s 12 treasures.
