Things to see in Jaen
The city has 48 notable monuments, and more than a hundred other buildings of interest, almost all of them in the Renaissance style, and in perfect balance with Arabic, Gothic or Baroque volumes.
In 1955, it became the second city in Spain to be recognized as a Historic-Artistic Site. Úbeda's rich heritage has earned it prestigious titles over the years. The Council of Europe then appointed it an Exemplary City of the Renaissance in 1975. Finally, in 2003, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Nine buildings have been designated as National Monuments and are located throughout the city. 19 are declared Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC).
The preservation of many of these buildings is impressive. Many details are preserved and can be admired, such as the wooden doors constructed with nails, the original brass door knockers, the street lamps, and the iron railings in front of the windows.
Plaza Váqueza de Molina
The Váquez de Molina Square is one of the most impressive squares in Spain. It contains some of the finest Renaissance buildings found in the city of Úbeda. The square large with an irregular shape and an elongated appearance. On one side of the square, you will see the impressive Iglesia del Salvador, which is considered one of the most exceptional works by the architect, Andrés de Vandelvira. On the opposite side of the square, you will find the main façade of the Real Colegiata Iglesia de Santa María de los Reales Alcázares and classicist façade of the Palacio Vázquez de Molina. The Hospital de Honrados y Venerables Viejos and El Parador are also located in the square.
Sacra Capilla del Salvador
This exceptional chapel was founded by Don Francisco de los Cobos y Molina, Commander Major of León of the Order of Santiago, Adelantado de Cazorla and many other titles granted by his Lord, Emperor Carlos I, of whom he was Secretary of State, and who served effectively in the management of the business of the Spanish Empire. Married to Doña María de Mendoza y Sarmiento, Countess of Rivadavia, he decided to build a family burial chapel in his city in keeping with his category in the Iglesia de Santo Tomás, now disappeared, where his family already had one. However due to differences with his priest, he made the decision to make a new and independent one, for which he commissioned the project to one of the best architects of the moment, Diego de Siloé, in 1536, locating it on land donated by the charity called Hospital de los Honrados Viejos del Salvador. The execution of the work was contracted to the local stonemason, Alonso Ruiz, and to, Andrés de Vandelvira, recently bequeathed to Úbeda. Due to differences between de los Cobos and Siloé, which motivated the suspension of the works in 1539, the following year a new contract was made with Vandelvira and Alonso Ruiz, without Siloé, but without forgetting his expertise, for which it is stipulated that the main façade, whose design had not been drawn up by him in his first project, would be the same as the Perdón de la Catedral de Granada, which Siloé was carrying out at the time. A decisive intervention in the sculptural decoration of the building had the Frenchman, Esteban Jamete, whose participation in this work had an important influence on the subsequent evolution of Vandelvira’s style. Later, during the seventeenth century, the presbytery was the object of the addition of a Baroque rockery attached to the walls and the great baldachin, the work of García Pantaleón over the Central Chapel. In it, a large altarpiece, the work of Berruguete, also represents the Transfiguration of the Lord, with images that, except for the Saviour, were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, later being the object of a documented and faithful restoration by the sculptor, Vasallo. The evangelists are a stone work by Luis de Zayas from the seventeenth century, and the apostles on the dome drum are a work carved by Antonio Medina in 1770, who also made the choir stalls, whose backrests are preserved in the sacristy. The gilding and paintings are the work of Ginés Navarro, from the eighteenth century. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1931. Located in Plaza Vázquez de Molina.
Opening Times: Monday-Thursday, 10:00:14:30hrs and 16:30-20:00hrs. Friday and Saturday, 10:00-20:00hrs. Sunday, 11:30-15:00hrs and 16:00-20:00hrs. Price: General, €5. Over 65 and Groups > 4 personas (max. 20), €4,50. Children (8-15 years), €2,50 Free Entrance Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00-10:30hrs. Tel: 609 279 905