This was the old Hospital de la Santa Misericordia, ceded to the Hermanos de San Juan de Dios in 1619. It was maintainted as a charitable hospital until 1980. The Hospital’s main front is Ghotic. The adjoining church has a simple 18 th c. façade. lts interior was reformed in Andalusian neo-renaissance style in 1914. It now houses the Institute of Jaén Studies and Documentary Centre for Jaén Themes and Authors. Tel.: 953 24 80 00.

This royaL convent was built over some old Arab palaces that king Juan I ceded to the dominicans in 1382. It used to house the University of Santa Catalina Mártir and in the 19 th c. became a Hospice. The cloister is the best example in the city. Currently accommodates the Provincial Historical Archives. Tel.: 953 23 85 00.

This stately building was constructed at the end of the 16 th century by ihi Viceroy of Perú don Fernando de Torres. In the 18 th century it became a Hospice, and remained as such for many years. A small church was added to it in 1902 and dedicated to the Visitation.

It currently houses the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs and the Museum of Naive Art. The Arab Baths which are beneath the palace are entered through II beautiful courtyard, and are a good example of the Hispano-Muslim baths of the 11 th century.

The whole building enjoys the status of artistic historic monument by Decree of 3 June 1931. Its restoration was awarded the prize, Premio Europa Nostra 1984. Open daily, except Mondays and Feast Days. Tel.: 953 24 80 68.

This is a very old church in whose interior can be found a beautiful 16 th c. Calvary by Sebastlán Solís. Adjoining it, the "Torre del Concejo" (Council Tower) is still conserved. Telephone 953 23 76 21.

It was the palace of the famous Condestable de Castilla don Miguel Lucas de Iranzo. its Mudejar coifered ceilings and some plaster mouldings are from that era. The main façade and some more rooms date back to 1920. Currently the building houses several departments in theTown Council, and the Municipal Library. Tel.: 953 21 91 16.

This bullding has housed the Escuelas de la Compañía de Jesús and other studies since the 17 th c. Its has some beautiful cloisters. Open habituailly. Tel.: 953 23 23 14.

This ¡s the remains of the old parish church of San Lorenzo. Inside are beautiful Moorish tiles and plaster mouldings. Conferences are held inside organized by the Association "Amigos de San Antón". It was made a National Monument in 1877.

This is a beautiful fountain and public watering place, built in 1596 by the stonemasons famiiy Hurtado.

A 16 th c., House-PaLace constructed for the captain don Fernando de Quesada y Ulloa. lts façade has notable decorative details. It has recently been restored to house the Town Planning Department of Jaén Town Council. Tel: 953 21 91 42.

Erected in 1580 for the P.P. Mercedarios. Today is a parish church. Tel:953 23 35 08.

Founded in 1615, offers a great altarpiece, with paintings by Sebastián Martínez and Ambrosio de Valois. ln the interior is one of the manuscript copies of “Cántico Espiritual” of San Juan de la Cruz. It was the first Carmelite Monastery to be dedicated to Saint Teresa. It is very popular for its confectionery. Tel.: 953 23 27 07.

The cathedral was built between the 16 th and 17 th c. following the original designs of Andrés de Vandelvira. It is worth paying a leisurely visit to the Sacristy, the Chapter House, the Choir stalls, the Presbitery and the main chapel. In the Main Chapel you should see the Gothic image of Ntra. Sra. de la Antigua and the famous relic of the Holy Face. In the ante-sacristy there is a good reproduction of the processional monstrance by the sliversmith Juan Ruíz "El Vandalino”. Are also of interest, the cathedral museum and the upper galleries of the temple. The building enjoys the status of historic-artistic monument from 1931. Tel. 953 23 42 33.

This is an annex of the cathedral. It was built at the end of the 18 th c., according to ti,. tiesign of the architect Ventura Rodríguez. It has some beautiful paintings by Salvador Maella and Zacarías González Velázquez. Tel.: 953 23 42 33.

This is a wonderful example of a typical vaulted niche. lt has a bas-relief which frames an 18 th century canvas of the Virgen del Consuelo, and a small chapel. It is Ihe scene of many popular legends.

This great building dates back to the second half of the 19 th c., by Jorge Porrua housing the Provincial Government. The courtyard, assembly room and lower galleries are of great iriterest. Tel: 953 24 80 00.

Interesting 17 th c., building with a beautiful façade and a porticoed gallery. It accommodates the Official College of Architects.

Example of a stately home, with a 17 th c. monumental façade. It has been an artistic-historic monument since 1975.

Apart from the cathedral, this is the largest church in the city. It has three beautiful façades- Gothic, Mannerist and Neociassical - and two elegant towers. The interior of the temple is Gothic, with Baroque altarpieces. The most interesting room is the chapel of Ntra. Sra., where the Virgen of the Chapel, Patron Saint of the city is worshipped. It is a beautiful sculpture. Tel.: 953 19 03 46.

This is a small Museum-House adjoining the temple of San Ildefonso, which exhibits most of the artistic-historic heritage of the Virgen de la Capilla.
I*l,9S3242446/953 190348.

This is without doubt the most representative example of the many hermitages that surrounded the city. It is a small 18 th c. building presided over by a lovely Crucifix. A collection of popular votive offerings from the last century hang trom its walls.

The group of 17 th c.arcades of the portico are of particular interest. It now houes a Saving Bank.

This was an old charitabie institution founded in 1528. The church serves as a chapel to a community of nuns, Religiosas Siervas de los Pobres.

This great building was founded in 1920 by the architect Antonio Flores. The monumental main front of the old 16 th c. granary has been incorporated in its main façade, and that of the now disappeared church of Saint Miguel. The ground floor of the Museum is dedicated to Archaeology. lts collection of Iberian art is one of the most renowned in Spain. The upper floor is dedicated to Fine Arts. It was made an artistic-historic monument in 1973. Tel. 953 31 33 39.

This is a fortified citadel which since Arabic times has dominated the city and is where the City walls which surrounded the urban area converged. lts original Arabic design was amplified and modified after the conquest by Fernando III. Centuries later, in 1808, it was remodelled to house the military garrison of the town. Although it has deteriorated greatly since its original design, the “New Castle" is still conserved,where we can see the great donjon, or keep, the chapel of Santa Catalina and some underground water reserves and barbicans. The main nucleus of the fortification or “New Castie” has been rehabilitated by the Town Council, setting the Tourist lnterpretation Centre in it. Next to the Castle is the Parador Nacional de Turismo, constructed in 1965 as an imitation of the old Fortress. Close by, on top of the hill, there is a monumental Cross which is similar, to that which Fernando III ordered to be erected there when he entered the city in the spring of 1246. At the foot of the Cross, engraved in the rock, is the "Sonnet to the Cross” by the poet Almendros Aguilar. From the Cross, there are views over most of the city and surrounding countryside of Jaén, giving a good global panorama of the three areas which form the rural area of the capital -mountains, “la huerta” and “la campiña” (see below). Tel.: 953 12 07 33.

There is documental evidence of the presence of Jews in Jaén since 612. With more or less fortune they co-existed under Aryan, lslamic and Catholic rulers until the serious persecutions of the Jaén Jewry in 1391 meant a great setback and its streets became quarter of Jews converted to Christ
being known as the”Holy Cross Quarter".

In spite of these deplorable events an important crypto Judaic population stayed here. This meant that although it pretended to be Christian it kept its ancient traditions in secret and the observance of Moses’ Laws, a fact that will be the reason why an Inquisition Tribunal will be opened in Jaén in 1483.

Later on and well into the 18 th century inquisitorial trials were passed different persons of mark who still kept in secret their Jewish condition and, even an important emigration of Sephardite Jews coming from different Portuguese towns who strangely enough, felt a special predilection settling in Jaén, perhaps because they we descendents of the Jews who’d been expulsed from the City in the previous centuries.

The twelve centuries of Jewish presence in the city have left a few vestiges such as the Jewry or countless historic news, legends and traditions. Hasday ib Shaprut, the first Jew who shone with a light of his own the history of the lberian Peninsula, was born in Jaén. An outstanding courtier of the Cordoba caliphs, Abderraman III and Alhajan II, this Jaén “nasi” or Prince of the Jews Sepharad is the starting point of the well known ”Spanish Jews’Golden Age” and one of the basic pillars of the most splendorous and mythic ”Spain of the three Cultures".

Traditionally the Jewry has been identified with the space situated between San Andrés Street (N), the Los Caños Square (S), Martínez Molina (W) and Los Huérfanos (E). The space existing between those limits, with clear signals of having belonged to a parapet walk, is now shared by five blocks of streets making up a complex urban structure wlth only three exits. ln general, the plots keep the Lower Middle Ages and Renaissance planning: buildings on the long fronts of the plots (Rostro and Santa Cruz streets) and deep patios/orchards in the back.

The Cathedral of Jaén,a reference Renaissance architectural masterpieci and a model followed by cathedrals throughout Latin America, has more than enough reasons to achieve the UNESCO World Heritage award.The Jaén City Council launched a campaign, in early 2005, to achieve this acknowledgement and, since then, a great support has been received both from the Jaén society as from public administrations, groups, associations and politicians. Furthermore, many Spanish cities, some of which have already been declared World Heritage Sites have sent their explicit backing. This is why the Jaén City Council carries on in its effort and hard work to achieve the final goal: to have the Cathedral of Jaén declard a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.