Iglesia de San Juan Bautista

In the picturesque square of Santa María la Mayor, in the heart of the Cerro district, we find the oldest temple in the city. Founded in the 7th century by the bishop of Egabro, Bacauda (a prelate from Egabra who took part in the 8th Council of Toledo), its interior contains a peculiar piece of art. It is an altar (stone in the form of a pilaster) which, in Gothic characters, consecrates the church to Saint Mary on 30 May 688 (650 AD). It is the oldest epigraphic manifestation of Marian devotion in the diocese of Córdoba and one of the few in Andalusia. The church has a rectangular floor plan, divided into three naves separated by Doric columns. The high altar chapel is a Baroque work of interest and was carved in 1742 by Gerónimo de Priego. Nowadays the church has reopened its doors to worship after a period of restoration, and the brotherhoods that have their canonical headquarters here celebrate various religious events throughout the year.