The history of Ferdinand church of Saint Marina, Cordoba (Spain)

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        The name of the Saint Marina of Aguas Santas Church has galician origin. This church was built by King Ferdinand III the Saint in order to inhabit the sparsely populated section of Saint Marina, as well as to give an administrative and religious center. Located in a privileged place of the current Córdoba, in the Middle it bordered the walls that separated the Ajerquia from the city, and the disappeared Colodro Door, that leads to the Ajerquia towards north.
        It was believed that the works began in the end of the XIII Century although data are available references that appear in the documentary of the church in 1256 and 1264, and the words by some clerics who served there in 1277. Undoubtedly, it is, as Saint Mary Magdalene Church, the ancient fernandina church, which shares many stylistic similarities.
        As in all other churches in our city, the church of Saint Marina has suffered numerous transformations but nowadays you can admire its style properly.
        In the middle of the XVI Century, Hernán Ruiz built a tower bell on middle age rests. And the works were financed by the bishpo Leopoldo de Austria, Emperor Charles I’s uncle. In 1630 the architect Sebastián Vidal transformed the head of the church, the evangelis side, to build a chapel, the Benavides Chapel, adapting to the taste of the time. In 1642 and 1647 the middle age ceilings are changed by baroque vaults and the Tabernacle Chapel is built. This chapel was restored in the second half of the XVIII Century because of the earthquake produced in 1755. The restoration in 1998 was done so that, as far as possible, the church regained its original appearance.
        The tradition of burying the dead in and surroundings of the church, that it stimulated that in periods of high mortality it caused the accumulation of corpses and major epidemics, such as that in the year 1785 caused more than a thousand deaths, as Ramírez de Arellano told us.
        Epidemics were not the only misfortune that the Saint Marina section suffered throughout the years. The earthquakes of 1680 and 1755 had damaged the building and the fires produced in 1880 and 1936. Before this the church was restored a lot of times respecting the taste of sponsorship.
        This church is in Saint Marina Section and it is bordered by San Augustine Section in the East and South zone, near the Columbus Square and Ollerías avenue in the North. In front of the church there is a square, Saint Marina Square, where there is the Manolete monument.
        Near this church there is the Viana Palace, which was the palace of the Villaseca Marquis. In the North there is the Malmuerta Tower, which was built by Henry III El Doliente, to protect the doors of Rincon and Colodro.

Text: J.A.S.C.

Traslated by Sara Moretti