Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Collado

The Church of Nuestra Señora del Collado is a parish church located in Segura de la Sierra, in the province of Jaén, and it is also mentioned in some sources as a hermitage due to its dedication and historical use. The present building was erected in the 16th century over a previous temple that probably already existed, in a context linked to the importance of Segura as head of the Encomienda de la Orden de Santiago. Its construction has been described with Gothic and Renaissance features, although the available information does not allow to fix with total precision a unique stylistic ascription. The documentary tradition also indicates that in origin there may have been an earlier church, dated by some references to the 14th century, but this chronology should be taken with caution due to the diversity of attributions in the sources. The temple suffered serious damage in 1810, when it was set on fire by Napoleon's troops during the War of Independence, and was rebuilt five years later under the impulse of the Infante Francisco de Paula Antonio. Later it was burned again in 1936, in the context of the Spanish Civil War, which explains the transformations and losses of its movable heritage. In the historical complex of Segura de la Sierra, this church is part of the main monumental heritage of the urban area, together with the castle and other vestiges of its medieval past. Its interest lies both in its religious value and its role in the historical evolution of a town closely linked to the Order of Santiago.