Walking along Calle Cardenal Herrero beside Córdoba's Mezquita-Cathedral, you'll encounter something quite unexpected: a baroque street altar illuminated by eleven lanterns, housing what locals call the Virgen de los Faroles. This isn't your typical religious shrine tucked away in a corner – it commands attention from its elevated position against the mosque's northern wall.

The painting you see today tells a fascinating story of art, tragedy, and renewal. The original 18th-century Immaculate Conception was destroyed in a fire in November 1927. Rather than leave the space empty, the mayor commissioned Julio Romero de Torres, Córdoba's most celebrated painter, to create a replacement. What he delivered was completely different – an Assumption scene featuring his characteristic style of mysterious, large-eyed women with dark, tenebristic tones.

Romero de Torres used Carmen Gabucio Sánchez Mármol as his model, a fascinating woman with a dramatic life story spanning from Mexico to Madrid's theaters, and even espionage during the Spanish Civil War. She posed not only for the Virgin but also for the nun and the woman with a mantilla below, representing mystical and worldly Córdoba respectively. The apostles witnessing the empty tomb complete this uniquely Andalusian interpretation of the Assumption.

Here's the twist – what you're actually looking at is a copy. The original was removed in 1936 to prevent another fire and now hangs safely in the Museo Julio Romero de Torres. His son Rafael Romero Pellicer painted this faithful reproduction that has watched over the street for decades.

The altar itself dates from the 1700s, with its rococo columns supporting a curved pediment and elliptical dome. The eleven lanterns (originally eighteen) still illuminate the scene each night, just as they did for the devout neighbor who first maintained this tradition. A fig tree partially obscures one side, and potted plants add an unexpectedly lively touch – unusual for a cathedral that houses nearly 500 tombs but very little living vegetation elsewhere.

An audio guide can provide deeper context about Romero de Torres' techniques and Carmen Gabucio's remarkable biography, but the visual impact speaks for itself. The inscription below reads: "If you want your pain to become joy, do not pass by, sinner, without praising Mary."