Right across from Jabalquinto Palace in Baeza which has become an architectural diamond and the city’s icon, there is the small and modest stone Church of Stana Cruz, also known as Holy Cross Church. It encloses the east side of a square of the same name and differs dramatically from the surrounding constructions because it is one of the few temples in the late-Romanesque style that has survived to this day in pristine condition.

The Church of Santa Cruz was built in the 13th century, after the conquest of the Guadalquivir River valley by King Ferdinand III of Castile. Today, this is the only Romanesque church in Andalusia that was created such a long time ago.

Through its centuries-old history, the building of the ancient church has undergone many renovations, both of its interior and exterior. For example, in the 15th century, the temple was deprived of its historical northern facade as a result of an expansion. An extension with a new chapel appeared in its place. Another interesting change affected the main facade of the building that was reconstructed with decorative elements borrowed from the Church of St. John the Baptist. If you look closer, you can see neoclassic elements that couldn’t be part of the original construction.

The main ornaments and attractions of the church’s interior decoration are ancient wall paintings that appeared there at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. They were discovered very recently, only in the 1950s, during a large-scale renovation of the temple.

Inside the building, visitors can see that its walls, just like on the outside, are made of stone, and the ceiling is supported by wooden coffer vaults and sandstone columns that form magnificent arcades and divide the space into three naves. The church’s interior stands out for its monumentality and austerity which isn’t surprising: the Romanesque temples weren’t intended to spiritually enrich villagers but to protect them and defend them from external threats. And this atmosphere has survived through the centuries. Even today, guests of the Church of Santa Cruz feel calm and safe within its walls.