Former Conciliar Seminary of San Felipe Neri

One of the treasures of the Plaza de Santa Maria is the Former Conciliar Seminary of San Felipe Neri, the construction of which was ordered in 1660 by Bishop Fernando de Andrade y Castro under the direction of the Fathers of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri. In 1969, it ceased to function as a seminary and is currently one of the buildings of Baeza that host the Antonio Machado headquarters of the International University of Andalusia. The San Felipe Neri Seminary is in front of the cathedral, and its exterior aspect is of great sobriety, except for some reddish painted on its façade. Former students who passed through the centre made these inscriptions or markings. They are like 16th and 17th century’s graffities. With these markings, the youth recorded their passage through the seminary and celebrated their academic achievements or those of their peers. Baeza is aware of the value of these markings and has taken care of several restoration processes, as they are one of the references in the guided tours. The San Felipe Neri Seminary is not the only point where you can find markings; they are also on private houses and other buildings. The interior of the seminar has been remodelled on several occasions, but the most important one was carried out in the nineties to adapt the building to the current academic and residential use.