The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba: A Case Study of the Catholic Church’s Plunder in Spain

From national monuments to buildings, properties, squares, and gardens, the Spanish Catholic Church has not hesitated to register real estate. Whether it be a World Heritage site of immeasurable cultural and historical value, or a modest parish church built through the efforts of a small village, the Catholic Church, thanks to a legal loophole created under Franco and expanded by Aznar, has become the country’s largest landowner.

By examining the case of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, a typical and controversial example, along with 16 other significant real estate registration cases across the Iberian Peninsula, this guide explains and proposes solutions to the arbitrary system that, through the complicity of registration officials and a legal chaos that violates human rights, has allowed this scandal to occur. We are talking about the blatant plunder of thousands of properties belonging to the public good. Reclaiming them requires overcoming indifference and inaction, and defending our public wealth. This is the call to action contained within these pages.