Úbeda's Plaza Vázquez de Molina* is one of the best examples of Renaissance urban planning in Spain, which contributed to its declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 along with part of the monumental complex of Baeza. Its trapezoidal structure arises from the union of several spaces and its design is dominated by the Sacred Chapel of El Salvador del Mundo, the largest civil mausoleum in the country. In the past, it was known as Llano de Santa Maria and later as Paseo de Santa Maria in the 19th century. Today, it is the ideal starting point for touring Úbeda.

Originally, the place was a watercourse where the Azacaya stream flowed, but in the 16th century, with the departure of the nobility from the Alcazar and its demolition in 1507, a process of urban transformation inspired by Renaissance ideals began. By the middle of that century, the main buildings that gave it its current image had been completed. In its evolution, the space was occupied by different constructions, such as the granary, whose presence made it necessary to modify the alignment of the square until it adopted its definitive "L" shape. During the following decades, the most influential families of the city, especially the Molina-Cobos family, promoted the constructions that ended up defining its monumental aspect.

Also called Plaza de Santa María, its structure combines different spaces articulated around architectural landmarks such as El Salvador, whose visual preeminence is balanced by other buildings. A perpendicular axis is defined by the facades of the Palacio Vázquez de Molina and the Church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, providing a unique spatial organization that reinforces the monumentality of the square.

Among the most outstanding buildings are the Palacio del Deán Ortega, an elegant Renaissance building attributed to Andrés de Vandelvira, currently a Parador de Turismo; the Palacio de las Cadenas, seat of the town hall, with an impressive façade decorated with atlantes and caryatids; and the Palacio del Marqués de Mancera, with its characteristic Torre del Tesorero (Treasurer's Tower). Also noteworthy are the Old Granary, the Bishop's Jail, and the Church of Santa María de los Reales Alcázares, built over an old mosque and restored after the Civil War.

The most emblematic monument is the Sacred Chapel of the Savior, pantheon of Francisco de los Cobos, designed by Diego de Siloé and executed by Vandelvira. Its plateresque façade, with reliefs of the Transfiguration of Christ and mythological scenes, is one of the most beautiful in Úbeda. Inside, the main altarpiece, the grille by Francisco de Villalpando and the sacristy, considered a masterpiece of the Spanish Renaissance, decorated with symbolic sculptures by Esteban Jamete, stand out. It also houses Michelangelo's San Juanito, the only sculpture of the artist preserved in Spain.

This monumental ensemble makes the Plaza Vázquez de Molina a reference of the Spanish Renaissance and the epicenter of Úbeda's artistic heritage.