Hospital de Santiago
This huge, austere building was Vandelvira’s last masterpiece, completed in 1575, the year of his death. It was commissioned by Diego de Los Cobos y Molina, the Bishop of Jaén, and continued to be used as a hospital until 1975. The sandstone exterior is remarkably free of embellishment, earning it the nickname of Andalucía’s Escorial. Over the main entrance is Vandelvira’s trademark, a carving of Santiago Matamoros on horseback—St. James in Moor-slaying mode. Today, the building is in constant use as a cultural complex, hosting exhibitions and conferences in its arcaded courtyard and concerts in the exquisitely decorated chapel.
This huge, austere building was Vandelvira’s last masterpiece, completed in 1575, the year of his death. It was commissioned by Diego de Los Cobos y Molina, the Bishop of Jaén, and continued to be used as a hospital until 1975. The sandstone exterior is remarkably free of embellishment, earning it the nickname of Andalucía’s Escorial. Over the main entrance is Vandelvira’s trademark, a carving of Santiago Matamoros on horseback—St. James in Moor-slaying mode. Today, the building is in constant use as a cultural complex, hosting exhibitions and conferences in its arcaded courtyard and concerts in the exquisitely decorated chapel.
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