Chapel of El Salvador

Rising before you is the magnificent Chapel of El Salvador, Úbeda’s most famous monument and one of the great masterpieces of the Spanish Renaissance. Built between 1536 and 1559, it was created as the private mausoleum of Francisco de los Cobos, secretary and trusted confidant of Emperor Charles V, and one of the most powerful men in Spain. Born in Úbeda, Cobos wanted to root his success in his hometown by commissioning a monument that would preserve his family’s memory for generations. To do this, he called on the finest artists of his time: Diego de Siloé for the original design, and from 1540 onward Andrés de Vandelvira, who shaped the building’s final form and designed the sacristy, considered his masterpiece. When you look at the main façade, you’ll see a triumphal stone arch in pure Renaissance style, richly decorated with statues, columns and biblical scenes carved by Esteban Jamete; this façade has become the emblematic image of Renaissance Úbeda. Inside, the chapel unfolds as a simple nave leading to a circular funerary chamber topped with a coffered dome, an expressive altarpiece by Berruguete, a superb Renaissance grille and an extraordinary sacristy by Vandelvira. Admission is ticketed, but it’s well worth it if you want to experience one of the finest achievements of the Spanish Renaissance. Right beside it, running along the square, stands the Deán Ortega Palace, one of Úbeda’s most beautiful Renaissance homes. Built in the mid-sixteenth century for Fernando Ortega Salido, the first chaplain of the Chapel of El Salvador, it blends the classical language introduced by Andrés de Vandelvira with Mudéjar traditions still visible in its stunning two-storey courtyard, considered one of the most elegant in Andalusia. Today, the palace houses Úbeda’s Parador Nacional de Turismo, a historic hotel open for overnight stays or simply for enjoying a coffee in its courtyard, although full unguided visits of the interior are generally not available.