Antiguas Carnicerías

Entering the Plaza de Los Leones is like travelling back to the middle of the 16th century, a period of splendour in which Baeza grew much demographically, and many monumental religious and civil buildings were built. One of them is the one that housed the Antigua Carnicería (the Former Butcher’s), built during the reign of Charles I. Its original location was outside the walls, passing the Puerta de Jaén. In the sixties of the twentieth century, it was moved to its present place after laborious work by the architect Pons Sorolla. The façade is divided into two parts. Nothing on the decor of the lower part stands out that much apart from the front lintel door and the three fenced windows. The Baeza and Corregidor shields can also be seen at the ends. On the upper part, however, there is a remarkably large imperial shield of Charles I present in several city monuments, featuring a double-headed eagle that protects the king’s emblem. The Antigua Carnícería was used to collect and sell meat. Since the 20th century, the building has been used as a fur dryer, municipal archive, museum and space for youth. It is now the headquarters of the courts.