Iglesia del antiguo Convento de San Hermenegildo

Iglesia del antiguo Convento de San Hermenegildo is a 17th-century church in Seville, the last surviving part of the former Jesuit college of San Hermenegildo, standing on Plaza de la Concordia at the corner with Jesús del Gran Poder street.

What is the history behind the building?

The college complex was built between 1616 and 1620, based on the design of architect Juan Bautista de Villalpando, a collaborator of Juan de Herrera during the construction of El Escorial. Villalpando was known for reconstructing the presumed layout of the Temple of Solomon, an idea that also shaped the proportions of this Seville church. The entrance portal is attributed to Alonso de Vandelvira.

After the Jesuit order was suppressed in 1767, the building went through several changes of use: a charitable shelter, a religious prison, and for a time the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the School of Christ. In 1823, during the Trienio Liberal, the Spanish government and Cortes fled Madrid for Seville as a French intervention army — the so-called Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis, led by the Duke of Angoulême and sent to restore Ferdinand VII's absolute rule — advanced into Spain. The Cortes held its sessions in the San Hermenegildo church from 23 April to 11 June 1823, and during one sitting declared Ferdinand VII unfit to govern, a landmark moment for Spanish liberalism of the period. The building later served as an artillery barracks for decades, a role it kept until the second half of the 20th century.

What will you see there?

Since 2006 the building has been closed to the public for safety reasons, so the interior cannot currently be visited. Even so, the church's outline and façade remain a clear example of early Spanish Baroque religious architecture, and its position on Plaza de la Concordia makes it a distinctive landmark in this part of historic Seville. The layered history — church, parliament, barracks — makes the site more interesting as witness to the city's transformations than as a conventional tourist attraction.

In 2024 the building was recognised as a site of democratic memory, a designation tied directly to its role as the seat of the Cortes during the Trienio Liberal.

How do you get there?

The church sits in central Seville, close to Jesús del Gran Poder street, making it easily reachable on foot from the main points of the old town. The area is served by city bus lines, and it is only a short walk from the cathedral or the Alameda de Hércules district.

When should you visit?

Since the interior is inaccessible, the appeal of the site comes down to viewing the façade and exterior architecture — best done in the morning or late afternoon, when the light highlights the stone portal's detail and Seville's typical heat is less intense.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the inside of the church? No — the building has been closed to visitors since 2006 for safety reasons.

Why is this place historically significant? In 1823, during the Trienio Liberal, the church served as the seat of the Spanish parliament (the Cortes), which had taken refuge in Seville from a French intervention army sent to restore Ferdinand VII's absolute rule. It later became a military barracks.

Who designed the church? The architect was Juan Bautista de Villalpando, a collaborator of Juan de Herrera, with the entrance portal attributed to Alonso de Vandelvira.

Where exactly is the church located? On Plaza de la Concordia, at the corner with Jesús del Gran Poder street, in central Seville.