Magdalena Church

The Magdalena Church is the oldest in the city of Jaen, at least of those still in existence, and was constructed over an old mosque built upon the orders of Abderraman II (825). From that period, we should mention the courtyard and the minaret.

The church, built in Gothic style, has four naves, one wider than the others, separated by non-aligned, irregular pillars. Pointed arches run between the pillars, creating ribbed vaults in the form of a lizard, reflecting the adjacent legend of the torrent, supported by corbels on capitals.

The fascinating works include painted carvings of the Calvary, attributed to Jacobo Florentino or Jerónimo Quijano; the Christ of Mercy, by Salvador de Cuéllar, dating to 1593, and La Magdalena Arrodillada, by Mateo Medina, catalogued in 1572. There are also remains of Christian painting, in irregular state of repair. Finally, there is an impressive two-leaf door at the main entrance, built upon the orders of Bishop Diego Tavera in 1555, which is as magnificent as ever despite the passing of time.

We highly recommend visiting La Magdalena Torrent, used since Roman times and the setting of a legend known as the ”Lizard of Jaén”.