Description
It was originally a visionary temple, as can be seen in the medallions that adorn the back of the temple and some that are preserved in the apse. Also visigoda epoch belongs a pile of holy water.
In the 13th century, during the reign of Fernando III (1217-1252) or that of his son Alfonso X (12122-1284), the columns were used to make a fully Romanesque church of three ships and head of three semicircular apses.
The portico is also of Romanesque trace, although in it you can see the point of the outer arches, characteristic this from the time of transition to the Gothic period. The columns inside the temple are cylindrical and base by imitating the old attic with the circular molding and he painted it square. The capitals are primordial and have a wide variety of motifs, from geometric figures and vegetable ornaments of leaves, rosetons and fruits, to animal figures such as lions, bulls, fish, goats and human figures.
The arches are pointed and the roof presents in the part corresponding to the cruise, a large vault of stone edge and in that of the ships a wooden craft. At the entrance of the presbytery there are two half columns with capitel with saw tooth ornaments, which support a large opival arc.
By the 16th century the church's enclosure was extended on the old trail, surely for greater needs of worship. The 16th century also brought together the artistic altarpiece of the Altar Mayor, which serves as an armour to the shrimp of the Virgin.
Another point to be highlighted is the chorus gate and silery both of a silver style. The gate of this, is adorned by a series of columns where there are carved various ornamental motifs, such as human and animal heads as well as fruit clusters.
The capital of these columns is Ionian. At the top door of the entrance door to the choir there is a large shield with the weapons of Don Francisco Delgado, which was preached in Jaén from 1566 to 1576. The chorus's silery is kept in good condition and all its chairs over half a shell and separated by columnites, where there are carved the same themes of the columns of the gate and as in this and on the central chair, are the weapons of the Bishop of Jaén indicated above.
The bottom of the seats is also finely worked, presenting geometric motifs. On both sides of the choir there are so many other chapels that have the wooden gate following that of the choir and with the same ornamental sizes.
