The imposing Baroque façade that today presides over the Plaza de Colón corresponds to the former Convent of La Merced, today the headquarters of the Diputación de Córdoba. Although its origins date back to the 13th century, when Ferdinand III ceded the land to the Order of La Merced, hardly any remains of the medieval building remain.
The current appearance corresponds to the works carried out in the 18th century and the mid-20th century. What has survived to the present day, curiously enough, are vestiges of the Visigothic hermitage of Santa Eulalia which was built on this site, and of which the crypt and the baptismal font are preserved.
The church that presides over the façade divides the building in two. On one side, the discreet white courtyard. On the other, the baroque courtyard, the richly decorated cloister of the convent, next to the monumental marble staircase. The church was completely destroyed by fire in 1978 and reopened in all its splendour at the end of 2014.
The Mercedarian convent has had different uses throughout history: it was a hospital during the French occupation, a hospice and charitable functions on several occasions, a school and, finally, the seat of the Provincial Council since 1967.
As a curiosity it should be noted that Christopher Columbus stayed there on several occasions and took as chaplain Fray Juan Infante, vicar of the convent, who celebrated the first mass in the Americas.
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