Baeza Tour Part Two

The second part of our walk round Baeza begins in the Plaza Santa Cruz, which was described in Part One. You won't have far to walk, but there's a surfeit of monuments in store. Let's start by taking Calle S. Felipe Neri up from the square.

The Seminario Conciliar de San Felipe Neri (old seminary) is a huge 17th/18th Century building that runs along the right-hand side of the street of the same name. It was restored in 1990 and is now the hub for many courses in the Universidad de Verano “Antonio Machado” (the Antonio Machado Summer School). The inner patio is cool and inviting in the summer. Students graft in the classrooms that lead onto it, kept well away from the heat outside. The seminary had a chapel that can be viewed from Calle S.Felipe Neri, while the old seminary's Baroque main frontage can be viewed from the Plaza de Santa María at the end of the street.

The Plaza de Santa María is another square that seems frozen in time, but is far larger than the Plaza de Santa Cruz. All its surroundings are completely in tune, without any concrete at all to strike a duff note. As mentioned above, the old seminary is on the right as you enter, while the Casas Consistoriales Altas are on the right. A Gothic complex, this currently houses the local music college.

However, as you cross the square past the 16th Century Fuente de Santa María (fountain) you'll approach its main feature Baeza Cathedral (16th Century, Renaissance).

The cathedral is a National Monument and is more than worth a closer look. The inside is impressive and unusual for visitors who might be more used to Gothic cathedrals, each chapel seemingly competing with its neighbour in terms of decoration. Afterwards, you can come out into the contrast of bright daylight and then walk right round the outside, making sure you don't miss the different doors to the building, each beautiful, each unique.

Behind the cathedral is another Baeza that many tourists don't reach yet is a real discovery and a great way to end your walk after such a glut of monuments.

Cobbled lanes are flanked by dry stone walls that find themselves overhung by palm trees. Few cars disturb a lovely and surprisingly shady stroll that ends up with a lovely view down over hills and endless olive groves. Now at the end of our tour, you can see the marriage between agriculture and historical heritage lying at the heart of contemporary Baeza.