The Ferdinand church of Saint Marina, Cordoba (Spain)
Saint Marina: The Building
The plan of the Saint Marina of Aguas Santas Church has three nav
es; the central one is wider and higher. The head of the church has polygonal apses, being reinforced with three counterforts.
The naves are linked by five pointed arches on big pillars that are with two columns and two pillars. On the pointed arches there are reinforced wall, on it there are five roman blind arches. Inside you can appreciate small openings for light, covered by roman arch, which covers a second arch, a polylobated one, on fine little columns. The reinforced wall holds the wooden handcrafted, decorated with a thin and simple "lacería" (a type of plasterwork).
The triumphal arch that leads to the Main Altar is decorated with crochets, while the arch that gives access to the side of the apse of the epistle is molded by alternating baquetones and scotia. The two cited apses, and the stretch that precedes each of them, are covered by the gothic vault decorated with vegetables elements.
The apse of the gospel side, which once was the Chapel of Benavides, is covered by a vault, made in middle of 
the seventeenth century, and decorated with geometric elements, typical of the taste of the time.
The main façade is done with four counterforts ended by a pinnacle that divides it into three parts, that coincides with the internal naves implying that we will see on the inside. The main entrance give access to the foot of the central nave, and it is covered by pointed arches. Below the arches there are capitals decorated with vegetables and animal shape. The pointed arch is framed with an alfiz with muslim inspiration, just as the roof
supported by modillions rolls. The rosette is not medieval, but done in a recent restorations.
The lateral one, the façade of the epistol side, is similar to the main one, but he has the peculiarity that birds are encountered along the decorative frieze.
The evangelis one was built in XIV Century, and introducing more advanced stylistic traits. It has a pointed arch, moulded archs and the intrados decorated with 
saw teeth. The capitals are supported by thin columns and decorated with plant motifs and zoomorphic, blending, as in the main doorway, with a frieze decoration that this time goes to the base of the arch. A tall and slender gable, ornamented at the edges with a diamond tip, covering the pointed arch, is flanked by two large buttresses. A small sculpture of Saint Marina is situated in a pointed arch niche that hosts another polylobulated arch.
The tower, with squared shape, was built by Hernán Ruiz II the Young, and sponsored by the Bishop Leopoldo de Austria in the middle of the sixteenth century, so we appreciate the shield in the final part. It has two parts: the first one without any decoration and the second one with columns and jonic capitals. There are walls with roman arches, below these arches there are the bells. The final part is ended with a lantern.
Text: J.A.S.C.
Traslated by Sara Moretti
Art, Culture and Tourism in Cordoba