JAÉN

Jaén’s cathedral was initially a gothic cathedral, but it had to be stopped because of the medieval wall. It is built on the plot of an old mosque. It has three naves and plenty of balconies. It is made in the Renaissance period. The central nave, from the transept to the back, is a choir, surrounded with wooden choir stalls and outside the stone wall is divided into two parts and finished off with a balustrade. From the outside we can see two doors, one at each side of the transept, and the main façade is at the back. It is surrounded by wide lonjas which are closed with wrought iron railings, supported on pilasters placed on pinnacles. It was built by Andrés de Vandelvira.

 

In the main façade (completed by the end of the seventeenth century), there are several balconies from which the Holy Face was exposed to bless people and lands. It measures 32 meters high and 33 wide, excluding the towers.

 

The façade, made by Eufrasio Lopez de Rojas between 1667 and 1688, is notable for the staging of a large iconographic sample, almost all magnificently sculpted by Pedro Roldan, which range from universal meanings (Fathers of the Western Church, Evangelistas, Solomon, Saint Peter and Saint Pablo, the Assumption of the Virgin, etc.), up to particular local devotions (San Fernando, Santa Catalina, and especially the Holy Face (Santo Rostro).

 

In the façade we can see the image of Ferdinand lll and the four evangelists. In the middle, we can see a balcony with the image of the Holy Face. And at last, Saint Peter and Saint Catherine appear. And finally, we can see ‘’La puerta del perdón’’.

At both sides of ‘’La puerta del perdón’’ we can see the image of Saint Peter and Saint Paul looking after it.

 

On the right side, ‘’La puerta del clero’’ is located. Next to it Saint Catherine is standing.

 

On the left side, ‘’La puerta de los fieles’’ is placed. Close to it, we can see the image of Saint Michael.

 

The ‘’twin’’ towers are situated at the both sides of the cathedral. They are from the Renaissance, what makes a Renaissance façade instead of a Baroque façade.

The cathedral was and is very famous because it is said that the Salomon’s table is hidden there, and we have the Holy Face, which is shown every Friday, kept.