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Because of the works carried out in the transept, vault of the Choir and Main Altar the new choir stall was partially performed. For this reason, it was necessary to move part of the choir stall work from the Ancient Main Chapel to the new one.
A century will pass till the interest for building a new choir stall begun this one will be built thank to a donation of 120000 reales, given by Don José Diez de Recalde, Archdeacon of Córdoba, after his death in 1742. Besides he wanted to give this money only for building the chair work and in a period of four years.
After this the church began looking for a master who would carry out the work: Tomás Jerónimo de Pedrajas, who had worked in the Cathedral, or Alonso Gómez de Sandoval, who had also worked with the council years ago, soon he was joined by two more projects, they are those of sculptor Seville Pedro Duque Cornejo and Francisco Galiano. At the end, the Pedro Duque Cornejo’s project was elected.
I there were ten conditions to be followed first: the author of the work had to move to Córdoba till the end of the work. He compromised himself to do and supervise the works. He carries them out by his hand the modillions of the high chairs that represent the Mysteries of Jesus Christ on one side end the Mysteries of the Virgin Mary on the other side. Also he would carry the medals, that represents Scenes of the Ancient testament. Fifthly, he would perform the children that crown every chair. He would carve the shapes that represent to a Martyrs from Córdoba, of half body, and the scene of his martyrdom. The capitulars on the other side could have the access to the works. The Cabildo Catedralicio (Government of the Church) paid for the work and also gave supplied the wood.
The works began in 1748, without any interruption and thanks to the Bishop Miguel Vicente Cebrián’s donation, who after his death in 1752, gives or donated all his goods. In this period the floor is made with white and black tiles brought by Genova (Italy). In this period Pedro Duque Cornejo carried out the throne. It is memorable the Ascension of Jesus Christ a marvellous relief, this is nearly a sculpture with natural proportion that represents anatomic features and higher quality in composition.
In 1753 and 1754 the bronze griddle of the choir are made, and a new support and bank made in block stone that nowadays we can appreciate in the middle of the place.
Only the Lisboa earthquake blocked the works that ended in 1751. Pedro Duque Cornejo was inspired by the XV and XVI Centuries models where the biblical scenes and even historical dominated the tendencies in sculpture. The normal had been to create a complex of individual figures of half relief whit prophets, apostles, and saints. The iconography wasn’t a Duque Cornejo’s work, but José de Capilla y Bravo dictated the scenes to represent.
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