Iglesia de Santa María de La Mota

The church of Santa María de la Mota is located in the grounds of the former Islamic Palace of Marchena the highest walled area separated from the city, hence the name of La Mota. It was constructed in about 1356, after the concession to Fernando Ponce de León of the Señorío de Marchena by King Ferdinand IV of Castile on 18 December, 1309.

It is the oldest church in the city, with three naves and a polygonal sanctuary in Gothic-Mudejar style. It was conceived as the chapel for the fortress, after the latter became the permanent residence of the Ponce de León and subsequently the palace of the Dukes of Arcos, with which it communicated via a porticoed gallery. At the foot of the nave of the Gospel the tower rises, with four diminishing segments of masonry and brick, featuring chequered panels, balls and mirrors, in the Mannerist tradition. The bell tower is from 1580. The main altarpiece houses an image of Nuestra Señora de la Bondad from the end of the 16 century.

In 1623 part of the palace, the rooms adjacent to the church, was occupied as a convent by the Clarisas which still survives, connected to the palace via the rooftop terraces.

In 1670 important changes were made to the interior décor, as well as the renovation of the presbytery and main altarpiece. The plasterwork on the walls and the construction of the Capilla de la Soledad were also undertaken.