San Jerónimo de Valparaíso Monastery, Córdoba, Spain

On the hills above the amazing Medina Azahara, nestling in the mountains of Córdoba and surrounded by native Mediterranean vegetation, stands this impressive 15th century monastery. It was originally Gothic in style, although different reforms in Renaissance and Baroque style have added a wealth of interesting details to the building.

The owners, the Marquises of El Mérito, have done a great job over several generations in restoring the building.The grand facade, with its balconies and windows, is an impressive sight and in the middle of the entrance there is a white marble medallion with a relief of St. Jerome. Within, the main courtyard is a cloister with Doric columns and Gothic vaults, with several chapels leading off it.

Visiting times: Only certain days a year through Medina Azahara.

References:

turismodecordoba.org

User Reviews

Jose Antonio Saez (6 months ago)
Very nice and in very good condition

MARI CARMEN CRUZ ARMENTA (6 months ago)
Una pena no poder visitarlo aunque sea por fuera. Desde donde llegamos estaba todo cercado. Unas vistas preciosas

Manuel Romero Meras (6 months ago)
Spectacular 15th century building, Gothic in its origin and enriched in later reforms. Nestled in the Sierra de Córdoba, above Medina Azahara.

Ignacio Hijano (7 months ago)
Too bad I couldn't see it inside, it must be beautiful. Outwardly it looks spectacular.

José Carlos Pino (11 months ago)
Precious jewel that was almost destroyed and dismantled in the years following the unfortunate episode of the confiscation, and practically left to fall into oblivion until just over a century ago, in which, the Monastery being acquired by a private individual, it has been recovering much of the splendor that it must have had at the time thanks to continuous investments in restoration, improvement and rehabilitation of many of its spaces. Congratulations to the owners, I hope that the work of all these decades will be recognized. By the way, both the family that owns the property and the staff who take care of it are very kind. It is worth managing the visit to enjoy both the contemplation of this incredible monument, and the views from it.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright oxfordblues84

Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

The famous Italian Medici family have given two queens to France: Catherine, the spouse of Henry II, and Marie, widow of Henry IV, who built the current Luxembourg palace. Maria di Medici had never been happy at the Louvre, still semi-medieval, where the fickle king, did not hesitate to receive his mistresses. The death of Henry IV, assassinated in 1610, left the way open for Marie's project. When she became regent, she was able to give special attention to the construction of an imposing modern residence that would be reminiscent of the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, where she grew up. The development of the 25-hectare park, which was to serve as a jewel-case for the palace, began immediately.

The architect, Salomon de Brosse, began the work in 1615. Only 16 years later was the palace was completed. Palace of Luxembourg affords a transition between the Renaissance and the Classical period.

In 1750, the Director of the King's Buildings installed in the wing the first public art-gallery in France, in which French and foreign canvases of the royal collections are shown. The Count of Provence and future Louis XVIII, who was living in Petit Luxembourg, had this gallery closed in 1780: leaving to emigrate, he fled from the palace in June 1791.

During the French Revolution the palace was first abandoned and then moved as a national prison. After that it was the seat of the French Directory, and in 1799, the home of the Sénat conservateur and the first residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul of the French Republic. The old apartments of Maria di Medici were altered. The floor, which the 80 senators only occupied in 1804, was built in the middle of the present Conference Hall.

Beginning in 1835 the architect Alphonse de Gisors added a new garden wing parallel to the old corps de logis, replicating the look of the original 17th-century facade so precisely that it is difficult to distinguish at first glance the old from the new. The new senate chamber was located in what would have been the courtyard area in-between.

The new wing included a library (bibliothèque) with a cycle of paintings (1845–1847) by Eugène Delacroix. In the 1850s, at the request of Emperor Napoleon III, Gisors created the highly decorated Salle des Conférences, which influenced the nature of subsequent official interiors of the Second Empire, including those of the Palais Garnier.

During the German occupation of Paris (1940–1944), Hermann Göring took over the palace as the headquarters of the Luftwaffe in France, taking for himself a sumptuous suite of rooms to accommodate his visits to the French capital. Since 1958 the Luxembourg palace has been the seat of the French Senate of the Fifth Republic.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

San Jerónimo de Valparaíso Monastery

Address

Details

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Historic Site of the week

Luxembourg Palace

Looks like you are a history fan!