Iglesia de Santa María del Collado

Declared a Historic-Artistic Monument and located in the district of Santisteban del Puerto, region of Jaen County, the Santa María del Collado Church offers a small and unknown jewel of Romanesque Andalusia.

Its Visigoth origins (8th century) still remain, like the medallions on its rear and in a baptismal font. In the 13th century it evolved into a Romanesque church with three naves with their respective three semi-circular apses, while in the 16th century some refurbishment was done to enlarge it to receive more believers.

While the Church façade is made of wood, its central apse, accessible through the pointed ashlar arch, has a Plateresque altarpiece which communicates with the Baroque chapel in the adjoining medieval tower. The chapel is decorated with polychrome plasterwork and covered by a half-orange shaped dome.

Of great simplicity and beauty, the temple houses the patron of Santisteban, the Virgin del Collado. Also of interest is the Museum of the Virgin, which contains documents, cloaks and a flag of the Battle of Navas de Tolosa.

From the outside are worth mentioning the two doorways on the side of the Pulpit –a Gothic one with pointed arch and trumpet-shaped archivolts, the other Renaissance–, and the Renaissance portico of five ashlar arches supported on brick pillars of masonry base.

As one walks up to the church at dusk, a halo of magic surrounds you so that you can appreciate the beauty and history of a legendary village: Santisteban del Puerto.