Church of San Miguel

You are standing before the Church of San Miguel, centre of Úbeda’s Discalced Carmelite convent, founded in 1587 under the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel. This is where Saint John of the Cross arrived gravely ill in 1591 and where he died during the night of 13 to 14 December. His first tomb was placed within this very complex, which became the first Catholic temple dedicated to him. Abandoned after the disentailment laws, the convent was returned to the Carmelites in 1905 and later rebuilt. The current church, in Neo-Renaissance style, was inaugurated in 1928. Inside, you’ll find three vaulted naves and paintings depicting scenes linked to Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa and the Christian conquest of Úbeda. On the façade, the monumental statue of Saint Michael, sculpted in 1971 by Marcelo Góngora, recalls the site’s protective vocation. Next to it stands the Oratory of Saint John of the Cross, built in 1627 on the very spot where the saint died and preserving his relics and personal mementoes. Set on the quiet Plaza del Carmen, this ensemble remains one of Úbeda’s most significant spiritual sites.