Jaén Cathedral

Jaén Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Jaén Cathedral stands on the Plaza de Santa María in the centre of Jaén, Andalusia, Spain, and a ticket is required, including an audio guide, which covers the cathedral, the museum and, on guided tours, the roof terraces, the tribunes and the upper walkways with views over the city. It is one of the masterpieces of Spanish Renaissance architecture, and it is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Jaén is about an hour from Granada and Córdoba by car or bus, and it is surrounded by olive groves, as the province is the world's largest producer of olive oil. Walking tours of Jaén combine the cathedral with the Arab baths, the largest in Spain, the Castle of Santa Catalina on the hill above the city and the Jewish quarter. Jaén can also be combined with the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza. Guided tours of the roof are offered at set times and should be booked at the ticket office.

Visiting Jaén Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was built between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries on the site of a mosque and an earlier Gothic cathedral, and it was designed by Andrés de Vandelvira, the architect who shaped the Renaissance towns of Úbeda and Baeza. Its design became a model for cathedrals in Spain and Latin America, including those of Mexico City, Lima and Bogotá. The western facade, built in the seventeenth century in a baroque style by Eufrasio López de Rojas, is decorated with statues of saints and kings and flanked by two towers. Inside, the cathedral is bright and spacious, with Corinthian columns and a hall plan.

Its most precious relic is the Santo Rostro, the Holy Face, a cloth believed to be the veil with which Veronica wiped the face of Christ, kept in the main chapel and shown to the faithful on Good Friday and on the feast of the Assumption. The choir stalls are carved in walnut, and the chapter house holds paintings. The roof terraces offer views over the domes, the olive groves and the Castle of Santa Catalina. The cathedral's museum displays paintings, silverwork and the treasures of the cathedral. The main chapel's altarpiece is decorated with carvings and holds the reliquary of the Holy Face. The chapter house's vaulted ceiling is decorated with carvings. The choir's carved stalls depict scenes from the Bible. The cathedral's crypt holds the tombs of bishops. The side chapels hold baroque altarpieces and paintings.

Jaén Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with a break at lunchtime on some days. Jaén is hot in summer, and spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons. The olive harvest, from November to January, brings activity to the surrounding countryside, and olive oil tastings are popular. Holy Week brings processions and the display of the Holy Face. The view from the Castle of Santa Catalina over the cathedral and the olive groves is best at sunset. Allow about an hour for the cathedral, and take a taxi up to the castle. The Arab Baths, beneath the Palacio de Villardompardo, are free to enter and include a museum of popular arts.