Church of Saint Mary Magdalene

The Church of Santa María Magdalena is located in the town center of Ossa de Montiel and is one of the town's most representative historical buildings. Its origins are linked to the late medieval consolidation of the town within the jurisdiction of the Order of Santiago, although the structure that remains today essentially corresponds to a major renovation carried out in the early decades of the 16th century. Visits by the Order of Santiago already document a church dedicated to Santa María Magdalena in 1478, a poor church with few resources, sustained mainly by alms from the local residents.

The current church replaced the earlier, smaller, and more dilapidated one. Its construction reflects the late Gothic style, incorporating features characteristic of the diaphragm arch churches prevalent in the Albacete and Levante regions at the end of the Middle Ages. A lack of resources significantly influenced the construction: instead of more monumental models, a simple, spacious, and functional nave was chosen, covered with Mudéjar-style woodwork. This simplicity does not detract from the building's appeal; rather, it helps us understand the social and economic realities of Ossa de Montiel during the late Middle Ages and early Modern period.

The church has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave, divided into four sections by large pointed arches resting on corbels and reinforced externally by buttresses. At the west end, the choir loft, supported by stone columns, is preserved, while the main façade features the most prominent elements: a semicircular arched doorway framed by an alfiz, the use of ashlar masonry in the more formal areas, and a three-bay bell gable. The overall appearance is austere, closely linked to the parish architecture of the towns associated with the Order of Santiago in the Campo de Montiel region.