Osuma University

The former University of Osuna is a rectangular building organized around a square courtyard. Its scheme is characterized byits architectural simplicity and is one of the most emblematic buildings of thecity, with the severity of its lines, and its unique profile, flanked by fourtowers at the corners and topped by Chapiteles covered with glazed ceramics.

Currently, most of the originating agencies have beenadapted and transformed into modern classrooms devoid of any artistic andarchitectural interest. However, the building retains its original structureonly on the southeastern side, where the main entrance is located immediatelyto the gateway, the chapel, the hall of Girona, the central courtyard, thestaircase that connects the upper floor, and the old library.

The latter is accessed from the main entrance and through anenclosed vestibule covered with a rectangular ceiling, two rows of beams oncorbels decorated with inlay work.

Chapel

The chapel is covered with rectangular ceilings and two rowsof beams that are carved and decorated with Plateresque motifs. The ceiling hasbeams in the center and shows Plateresque decorations alternating withinterlaced bands and pineapples, and it stands on the rostrum of the high choiron the wooden sill.

The presbytery is at a higher level than the rest of thechapel, and its seat is located in a neoclassical altarpiece, which housespaintings from a former Renaissance altarpiece.

It is separated from the nave by a vain segmental archcovered with wrought-iron fence from the 16th century, consisting of twohorizontal bands that divide the two bodies that comprise it, in which adecorative gilded Renaissance scrolls to the fire and is configured as anentablature.

The front ends represents the four evangelists sitting on amarble bench. It shows, from left to right, San Marcos,San Lucas, San Juan, and San Mateo, each with his symbol.

The last of the paintings is on the door. It presents ascene in which a court in an imaginary landscape is a palatial building surrounded by large trees and a river. Within this environment is a picnicscene in which games are played. Examples are galloping horsemen, shepherds,and dogs in the care of a herd.

The analysis of the shapes and the garments of the figure sindicate that the date of execution of this work is around the first few yearsof the 18th century.

Between the two bands are downturning vertical bars, whichare in the central part of the lower opening and gives access to the chapel. The top of the crest consists of a grid half made with turned bars, ending inpoints, and crowned with heraldic motifs.

The pulpit, made from wood, is located on the left wall ofthe chapel. It consists of stairs with balustrades of segmental arches of arectangular body against the wall and a triangular pediment topped by a crosshalf-embedded in the wall.

Central Courtyard

The central courtyard is a square with a standard two-storyporticos on all of its four fronts. The marble floor has Tuscan columns, whichsupport half-point spans with a symmetrical bent.

The columns are located on the small pillars that connect toform a rectangular molding. The upper galleries are composed of columns on ahigh base, which span half-point segmental arches that are bent and coveredwith iron. Located in the center of the courtyard is curbstone well.

Sala Girona

The hall of Girona has a slightly rectangular floor. Theupper part of its ornament is covered with wall paintings from the second halfof the 16th century. The front end is represented by an enthroned Virgin Marywith baby Jesus in her arms; on either side are groups of angels who present orgift with symbols related to iconology of the Virgin. The composition is framedby scenes of angels, showing an architectural background in.

The right wall represents the four fathers of the churchsitting on chairs and surrounded by different books scattered on the floor.From left to right appear St. Jerome, St.Gregory, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine, clothed with the traditional iconography ofthe saints and holding the crosier and models of the church in one hand whilethe other holds a pen as a symbol of scripture.

The composition is completed with architecture at thebottom, with the names of each character written.

The stairs on the southwestern side of the courtyard consistof rectangular spaces in which there are ladders in three installments. Theyare covered by a barrel vault with octagonal caissons.

The room that is the former library and now a dedicated hallis located near the chapel on the ground floor of the main entrance. It isaccessed from a staircase in the gallery’s courtyard. There is a rectangularframe that is covered with very elongated arts.

External

The four walls of the exterior of the building are made ofstone, with two plants in open, rectangular, and symmetrical windows. Townhouses in the four corners of the building were erected, two of which arecylindrical and flank the main facade.

They consist of two bodies covered with polygonalChapiteles. The other two towers flank the facade in the back. They are square,like buttresses, with two standard bodies topped with a pyramidal Chapiteles.The four towers are covered with blue and white ceramic.

The main facade is located on the southeast side of thebuilding, introducing the ashlar stone facing. It opens to the side of thefloor with two balconies in the middle that are flanked with columns andpediment.

The cover, which gives access to the interior of theproperty, is located off of the facade to its left side and shows half-pointarches and ends with its outer contour molding, flanked on both sides, onhigh-columned town houses and an entablature finished on the ends with two pinnacles.

The cover has another center, like a roof, consisting of acentral shell niche dome, which houses the image of the Virgin and Child. It islined with columns and on the upper side with molding and pinnacles. There is apainting of a crown inside, which shows the logo of the Virgin.

Under Decree 346/2004 of May 18, Andalusiawas declared a place of cultural interest, with the category of monuments.