holy chapel of el salvador

You cannot visit the graves of the persons who decided to rest there. Nothing impressive and audioguide quite poor.

This monument provides an excellent audio guide and code 101 brings to life the man who commissioned its construction. A must vist

A very helpful and enthusiastic young curator greet us as we went in and provided us with good explanations and a comprehensive audioguide in English. This Chapel is an absolute gem. The architect, Andres de Vandelvira designed many of the public buildings in Ubeda and nearby Baeza and was something of a revolutionary of his time, but what a legacy he has left us to enjoy (require major restoration after the Spanish civil war, but that is another story).

The Holy Chapel of El Salvador dominates the Plaza Vazquez Molina because of its beautiful architecture. Inside one goes to the main chapel and is astounded by the beauty of the chapel with everything gilded. I especially liked the designs of the many small angels there. The Sacristy door is something to spend looking at because of its beautiful design. The Sacristy itself has many small sculptures that are very good. Andres de Vandelvira, the architect of the Chapel, really was the architectural genius of his time. We are thankful for his many contributions that he has left us.I talked to Gonzalo, the young man in charge of the chapel, and asked him when the newly discovered sculpture of a boy by Michelangelo was coming back to the chapel. He said it is on tour in Italy now because the Italians restored it. It may return to the chapel early next year.

Don't get me wrong the interior of this church is good but with an entry price of 5 euros for what took us 15 minutes to look around I thought was expensive. You get an audio guide included but the dull voice didn't too much to impress on us the wonder of the church.Yes the carvings and the altar are nice but I've seen much better. What is very good is the exterior. Unless you are a lover of church interiors I would stick to the outside as the setting on the square is wonderful.

The exterior is beautiful, particularly the carving of the "Moor Slayer", but it's the inside that's the highlight. The gold is slightly faded, the wood a bit dusty and the paint somewhat scuffed, but it's all the more beautiful for it. What you get is an authentic Renaissance church, without the polish and lacquer of the overly restored higher profile churches in bigger cities. Take some time to soak in the wealth of decoration.

Beautiful chapel, permeated with history. Architect´s Vandelvira first project, commissioned by one of the richest man in Spain of its time, Francisco de los Cobos.

Tourist groups stand in the plaza and take pictures of the magnificent exterior but not all go inside and the inside is a visual treat. This 16th century church was build for the secretary to Charles V. The exterior is richly decorated with religious symbolic carvings as are the doors. Inside is a single nave and some of the decoration is gone but the high altar and the grille that separates the high altar are spectacular. The 3 dimensional marble statue on the altar has movement and the floor is tiled in a semicircle that must have taken great skill. Apparently this church suffered damage during the Franco era but effort has been made to reclaim and restore. My tip is to pay for the explanatory recording as it is full of information that enhances the visual experience.

Amazing to us, as egalitarian Americans, that a single family could "own" what appeared to us as a good-sized, highly-decorated church. According to the accommodating guide, however, that is the case, even though daily mass is celebrated here and I suppose a non family member might be admitted! That said, the actual structure is badly in need of restoration, heat, light; even a little dusting and brass polishing might help. The moor-slaying statue on the front is a little over the top, as well. Even with all that, the concept is uniquely interesting.

The enormous gold chapel certainly is interesting but the rest of the church is hard to see in the gloom

The Holy Chapel of El Salvador was created by Andres de Vandelvira and is another Renaissance masterpiece. It is the most famous building in Ubeda and one of the best examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture, also the most ambitious private religious architecture of the Spanish Renaissance.The building was ordered to be constructed by Francisco de los Cobos, who was the secretary of the Emperor Carlos V, and it was going to be used as a funeral chapel. The construction started in 1536 under the direction of Diego de Siloe. Later Andres de Vandelvira took over in 1540. The elaborate façade was done by the French sculptor Esteban Jamete and is one of the richest in the Spanish Renaissance. It has an enormous decorative richness, and includes the family coat of arms of Francisco de los Cobos. There is also the coat of arms of his wife, Doña Maria de Mendoza, of the prominent Manrique family. The coat of arms are held up by warriors and women. The facade has Christian themes from the Old and New Testaments and also pagan themes. The structure of the facade is like a triumphal arch, with two small round towers, one one each side of the main door. The front is divided into two bodies and topped with a triangle. The first body has the monumental door with a semicircular arch. Above the arch the virtues are holding a board. There are double fluted columns on each side of the door. The second body of the facade has a relief of the Transfiguration of Christ between two sculptures of Saint Peter and Saint Andrew inside two openings. Above are three windows. The north facade was designed by Andres de Vandelvira. The dome of the church is very impressive with its paintings. The altarpiece is called the Christ of the Transfiguration of Mount Tabor and is the work by Berruguete. The altar is impressive because it is all in gold leaf. What calls one’s attention is the large number of sculptures and paintings of angels, of all sizes. There is a beautiful sacristy done by Vandelvira and Esteban Jamete, with beautiful sculptures and a very decorative ceiling. The sculptures include caryatides, atlantes, angels, and medallions with allegories. In the church is a beautiful copy of El Greco’s painting Holy Family and St. Anne, done in ceramic tile. Today the chapel is private property.

El retablo mayor, las rejas y la cupula son espectaculares, muestran el renacimiento puro. No hubo nada que no nos gustara.

La Sacra Capilla es visita obligada de Úbeda, tiene un impresionante interior, las audioguías nos sirvió de ayuda para conocer mejor su historia. Muy recomendable!!

Es un lugar de gran belleza, obra de gran valor renacentista, y muy representativa de la arquitectura de Andrés de Vandelvira. Es el lugar más bonito que visite en mi estancia en la ciudad.Totalmente recomendable.

Panteón funerario del secretario del Emperador Carlos V, magnífico edificio del siglo XVI. Con la empresa Atlante Turismo se visita también el interior.