La Catedral
The Cathedral of Cordoba is remarkable for the beauty of its situation. In the 16th century, Bishop Manrique managed to convince Carlos V to give him permission to build inside the Mosque. Both the bishop and the king agreed that the Alhaken II’s extension should not be touched. In this way, in 1523, Hernán Ruiz I planned and began work on the Cathedral of Cordoba, in the sections built by Abderraman I and Almanzor. After the architect’s demise, the work was continued by his son and his grandson after him, as well as Juan de Ochoa. The building therefore spans nearly two centuries of changing architectural styles. The design, in the shape of a Latin cross, includes Gothic vaulting together with other Proto-Baroque vaults and a Renaissance cupola. The main altarpiece was scuplted in marble and finished in the 17th century, and the magnificent 18th century pulpits on either side of the main arch are in marble and mahogany, by the sculptor Miguel Verdiguer. From the same period come the impressive choir stalls, by Sevillan master sculptor Pedro Duque Cornejo, where almost every square inch of mahogany is carved with a wide range of images. The Treasury is just as attractive as the choir stalls, and passing through the Chapel of Cardinal Salazar, you can admire the impressive Cathedral collections of ivory and silver objects from the 15th-20th centuries, among which is the spectacular Corpus Christi Monstrance, made in the 16th century by Enrique de Arfe.
