Convento de St. Marta (St. Marta Convent), Cordoba

Saint Marta Convent is an ancient cloistered convent located in Cordobaю It was established in September 1464, with Pope Paul II and Bishop of Cordoba, Fray Gonzalo de Illescas, being the ones who founded it. The convent has had Hieronymite nuns since its inception, and it is considered one of the oldest convents of the female branch of the Hieronymite order.

Initially, Santa Marta functioned as a beguinage, which was a group of women who lived together and served God but without the regulations of a monastery. In 1475, Pope Sixtus IV ordered the prior general of the Hieronymites to draw up the Constitutions for this convent, and in 1491, at the request of Catalina Torquemada, the beguinage was officially converted into a convent.

Throughout its history, the Hieronymite order received material support from the Cordovan aristocracy, especially the Cárdenas and Fernández de Cordoba families. In fact, the convent had its headquarters in a house donated by the Counts of Cabra (Fernández de Córdoba), although it was expanded over time with the acquisition of neighboring houses.

The church of Convento de Santa Marta is a beautiful example of late Gothic architecture. The church has a single nave, which is typical of all churches of the Hieronymite order, and measures 28 meters long by 8.5 meters wide. The construction of the church began in 1470 with permission from Bishop Pedro de Cordoba y Solier and was completed around 1490. The first architect was Gonzalo Rodriguez, the father of Hernán Ruiz I, who continued the works after the death of his father.

For over a century, the church did not have an altarpiece, but it eventually received one. The main altarpiece was contracted in 1582 with the carver Andrés de Ocampo and the painter Baltasar del Águila, although the definitive contract was not signed until July 6, 1592. The altarpiece has a bench or predella and is three sections high, with paintings and sculptures representing various saints. What makes this altarpiece unique is that it has hardly been modified in its more than four centuries of history, and it is one of the few Renaissance altarpieces in Cordoba.

In addition to the main altarpiece, there are other noteworthy altarpieces in the church. The altarpiece of San Jerónimo, located in front of the main door, dates from the 17th century, although its author is unknown. The smaller Virgen de la Piedad altarpiece, located on the epistle side next to the lower choir, is from the 18th century and is also of unquestionable beauty, although it is also undocumented.