The Minor Basilica of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares is a reflection of the passing of time in the town. Remains from the Bronze Age, a temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Diana, and a mosque have all been discovered in it.
However, after the Reconquest, the mosque was converted into the main church. To gain access to the interior you have to pass through a delicate cloister which leads to a Gothic- Mudejar style church from which gothic chapels open up displaying images and processional floats from Holy Week. Among these we should highlight La Virgen de Guadalupe, patron saint of Úbeda, who is kept in the church from May to September.
In addition, in the collegiate church Santa María de los Reales Alcázares we can find a blackened Roman- sized Christ which is notable for the distinctive way his body arches to one side. It is the oldest Christ in the town and numerous miracles have been attributed to it.
The most well-known legend, the one which explains why his body appears twisted, is that of “The deeds of the widow”. According to popular tradition, this Christ made the deeds from a widow´s house appear under his body. The deeds had been stolen by the widow´s vengeful brother-in-law, who wanted the woman to be evicted. The theft, prevented by the miracle, was planned as revenge by the brother-in-law for the widow’s refusal to have sex with him.

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