La Fiesta de los Patios de Cordoba

A Patio is the inner courtyard of a city house, that is typically paved. You enter the Patio through an inconspicuous passageway from the street. Immediately you feel in another world, an oasis of peace, away from the bustle of the city.

Most of the Patios have a small fountain and are decorated with a stunning diversity of plants.

A competition between the owner of the patios of Cordoba for the most beautiful courtyard takes place once a year, during the second and third week of May.

The Festival of Patios of Cordoba is an element of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, appreciated by UNESCO since 2012.

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The Patios of Cordoba are distributed over six different neighborhoods of the old town. Approximately 65 Patios are presented to the jury in 2015. Interested people can visit the houses and are warmly welcomed. Unfortunately, since we had only a short stay in Cordoba, we cannot see all of them.

We visit two patios in Juderia-San Francisco and three in Santa Marina-San Augustin.

We go to Judios 6 in Juderia-San Francisco. The more than 300 years old house has a little fountain in the middle of the inner courtyard.

Besides innumerable plants that decorate the walls you can see an old sewing machine and various agricultural equipment. A small turtle is looking for a quite place. We were allowed to film the sympathetic owner and her daughter.

Not far away is Judios 21, the former Casa de las Bulas, which is the Zoco (bazar) today. A fountain decorates the spacious inner courtyard which is lined by broad arcades.

It is below a staircase to the upper floor. Here you will find the shops of artisan workshops specializing in silverware, jewelry, ceramics and leather ware. Geraniums, different ferns, an orange tree and a cypress decorate the yard.

Through many narrow lanes full of corners which offer permanently new perspectives as well as shade, we go back to the hotel.

On our way we pass the university.

The next day, we turn to the northeast old town and start our walk in the park of the Plaza de Colón.

Coincidentally, we encounter our friend and fellow blogger Jeff from New York, who is also visiting various patios. We briefly exchange ideas and then go separate ways, since we are a little slower because of filming.

At Plaza Puerto del Rincon we visit the remains of the former city wall and a fortified tower.

At Plaza de Don Gome, we take a refreshing cold drink and visit only the first Patio of Palacio de Viana.

The Patio Parras 5 in Santa Marina-San Augustin impresses with more than 50 different types of geraniums.

The Patio of Parra 8 is detached by 5 round arches from the living quarters. In the courtyard of the former school building we find rather rare species of plant, like a false Auralia and a majestic laurel.

The house Parras 6 was built 1530 and is the birthplace of the poet Pablo Garcia Baena.

The house is typical of Cordoba and thanks to a great deal of meticulous care, the arches and the wooden gallery have stood the test of time. Highlight is an asparagus over 4 m in height.

The son of the house led me to the first floor, as the ground floor was crowded by visitors, so I could enjoy the beautiful courtyard from the gallery.

Already after 5 Patios we are glad, not to belong to the jury, because it would be difficult for us to judge which is the most beautiful patio of Cordoba.

Cordoba Visitors should not miss this worldwide unique tradition.

Please read on > Flamenco in Cordoba

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