According to Aciprensa, the National Police Corps arrested an individual in Palencia accused of making twenty bomb threats against the Córdoba Cathedral on August 12. The arrested person faces charges for public disorder and hate crimes.
That day, during the afternoon and night, the temple’s surveillance service received repeated phone calls announcing the placement of an explosive device. The threats forced the deployment of a large police operation that included inspecting the premises and activating security protocols for approximately one hour. Finally, the authorities confirmed it was a false alarm.
Racist and xenophobic insults in the threats
According to statements from the National Police, the caller not only made threats but also uttered insults and expressions of a racist and xenophobic nature.
The investigation allowed him to be located in Palencia, in northern Spain, more than 600 kilometers from the Andalusian city, thanks to telephone tracking carried out by the security forces.
Previous fire in the Cathedral
The threats occurred just a few days after an accidental fire registered in the Córdoba Cathedral, presumably caused by the overload of a cleaning machine’s battery
The history of an emblematic temple
The Cordoban monument, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, has its roots in a Visigothic church from the 8th century. After the Islamic invasion of the peninsula, a mosque was built over it. With the Christian Reconquest, King Ferdinand III the Saint ordered in the 13th century the conversion of the building into a cathedral.
Over time, chapels and a retable were added that enriched the architectural ensemble, considered today one of the symbols of Spain’s religious and cultural history.
Rejected attempts at expropriation
In recent years, both the Córdoba City Council and the Andalusia Regional Government attempted to challenge the ownership of the cathedral, alleging that the Church lacked legitimate title. However, various experts confirmed the validity of the ecclesiastical ownership.