Real Colegio Seminario del Corpus Christi

What you will see

The Real Colegio Seminario de Corpus Christi, known in València as the Colegio del Patriarca, was founded in 1583 and its main purpose remains to train priests, according to the constitution left by its founder, Saint John of Ribera. It was declared a National Historic and Artistic Monument in 1962 and a Cultural Asset of Interest in 2007.

The complete tour takes in the church, cloister, Renaissance staircase, chapel and museum. The cloister is built with Carrara marble columns and the college presents it as one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture. The church is decorated in fresco by Matarana. The museum highlights paintings by Caravaggio, El Greco, Van der Weyden, Ribalta, Benlliure and Pinazo.

Cost

Entry without a guided tour costs €5 and with a guided tour, €12. The college notes that there is no free admission to the entire monument: the church remains closed except during Mass, which is reserved for worshippers, and can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Guided tours are managed exclusively by Ars Magna: scheduled tours run on Fridays and private tours are available Monday to Sunday.

Opening hours

The college's website does not publish the opening hours for unguided entry. Guided tour times can be found on Ars Magna's website when booking.

How to get there

The entrance is on calle de la Nave, 1, in the centre of València.

Worth visiting if…

…you want to see in one visit a Carrara marble Renaissance cloister, frescoes by Matarana and paintings by Caravaggio and El Greco. If the church is your priority, book the guided tour: it is the only way to see it outside Mass times.