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Plaza del Potro

Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Córdoba (Spain)Streets in Córdoba, Spain
Plaza del Potro (Córdoba, España)
Plaza del Potro (Córdoba, España)

The Plaza del Potro is a public square in the Spanish city of Córdoba. Rectangular in shape, one end of the plaza has a fountain topped by the figure of a colt with its front legs raised holding a sign with the coat of arms of the city. This Renaissance-style fountain dates from 1577, and the colt which gives its name to the square was added a century later. Until 1847 was located on the opposite side of the plaza. Since 1924, the other end of the square has a monument dedicated to the Triumph of the archangel Raphael. Among the buildings overlooking the square is the famous Posada del Potro, mentioned by Cervantes in Don Quixote, in addition to the city's Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum Julio Romero de Torres. The reference in "Don Quixote" can be found in the Penguin Classics edition, translated by John D. Rutherford, in Chapter III as " ... Potro in Cordova ...", and in the Barnes & Noble edition, translated by Tobias Smollett, in Chapter III as " ... the spout of Cordoba ...". The much celebrated reference to the place and neighbourhood is made by an inn keeper making fun of Don Quixote with sarcastic chivalrous references to infamous brothels, disreputable districts and dens of iniquity.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Plaza del Potro (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Plaza del Potro
Plaza del Potro, Cordova Santiago (Distrito Centro)

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

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N 37.881 ° E -4.7748 °
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Posada del Potro

Plaza del Potro
14002 Cordova, Santiago (Distrito Centro)
Andalusia, Spain
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Plaza del Potro (Córdoba, España)
Plaza del Potro (Córdoba, España)
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Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba), officially known by its ecclesiastical name, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción), is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and located in the Spanish region of Andalusia. Due to its status as a former Islamic mosque, it is also known as the Mezquita and as the Great Mosque of Córdoba (Spanish: Mezquita de Córdoba).According to traditional accounts a Visigothic church, the Catholic Christian Basilica of Saint Vincent of Saragossa, originally stood on the site of the current Mosque-Cathedral, although the historicity of this narrative has been questioned by scholars. The Great Mosque was constructed on the orders of Abd ar-Rahman I in 785 CE, when Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim-controlled region of Al-Andalus. It was expanded multiple times afterwards under Abd ar-Rahman's successors up to the late 10th century. Among the most notable additions, Abd ar-Rahman III added a minaret (finished in 958) and his son Al-Hakam II added a richly-decorated new mihrab and maqsura section (finished in 971). The mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236 when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista. The structure itself underwent only minor modifications until a major building project in the 16th century inserted a new Renaissance cathedral nave and transept into the center of the building. The former minaret, which had been converted to a bell tower, was also significantly remodelled around this time. Starting in the 19th century, modern restorations have in turn led to the recovery and study of some of the building's Islamic-era elements. Today, the building continues to serve as the city's cathedral and Mass is celebrated therein daily.The mosque structure is regarded as an important monument in the history of Islamic architecture and is considered by many scholars to have been highly influential on the subsequent "Moorish" architecture of the western Mediterranean regions of the Muslim world.: 281–284  It is also one of Spain's major historic monuments and tourist attractions, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.