Monastery of Saint Jerome: Detail, raking view of central facade and portal

The first monastery to be built in the city after the reconquest by the Christians, this monastery is noted for its picturesque courtyards, the Spanish Baroque-style sacristy and significant paintings and sculpture. The church is a basilica with a crossing and side chapels, with a Capilla Mayor which contains the crypt of the 'Gran Capitan', Gonzalo Fernandez de Cordoba (1453-1515). Work on the east end of S Jer\u00F3nimo was begun by the 'Florentine', Jacopo Torni (1525-1526), but Silo\u00E9 was responsible for the spectacular octagonal dome: supported on squinches treated as shell-niches, it has a vault of intersecting, paired arches and coffering profusely decorated with reliefs.