Pontifical University and Clerecía Facade
15 minutes
La Clerecía is the name given to the building of the former Royal College of the Holy Spirit (or Santo Espíritu) of the Society of Jesus, built in Salamanca between the 17th and 18th centuries. The facade of La Clerecía in Salamanca is monumental, Baroque in style, and divided into three tiers. It features two side towers designed by Andrés García de Quiñones, and a central niche housing an image of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Originally, the towers were designed for the City Hall, but it was decided to install them at La Clerecía so as not to disrupt the horizontal continuity of the Plaza Mayor.
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Highlights of La Clerecía include the interesting College Cloister and the impressive three-tiered facade of its church.
Construction began in 1617 under the patronage of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, apparently as an act of reparation to the order for the imprisonment suffered by its founder, Ignatius of Loyola, at the hands of the Inquisition in the Mocha tower of Salamanca Cathedral. Its construction was completed in 1754. The overall design of the building is attributed to Juan Gómez de Mora.
Following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain, decreed by Charles III through the Pragmatic Sanction of 1767, the building was handed over to the Royal Clergy of San Marcos, based in the Church of San Marcos. The latter subsequently ceded the building (except for the church) to the Diocese of Salamanca, which installed the Seminary of San Carlos there.
In 1940, the Pontifical University of Salamanca was established by Pope Pius XII, and the Diocese handed over the building to it as its headquarters. Although the transfer did not include the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Pontifical University ceased religious worship there in September 2012 in order to convert it to tourist use. Only weddings for alumni and individuals connected with the Pontifical University are permitted to be celebrated there.
Construction began in 1617 under the patronage of Margaret of Austria, wife of Philip III, apparently as an act of reparation to the order for the imprisonment suffered by its founder, Ignatius of Loyola, at the hands of the Inquisition in the Mocha tower of Salamanca Cathedral. Its construction was completed in 1754. The overall design of the building is attributed to Juan Gómez de Mora.
Following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain, decreed by Charles III through the Pragmatic Sanction of 1767, the building was handed over to the Royal Clergy of San Marcos, based in the Church of San Marcos. The latter subsequently ceded the building (except for the church) to the Diocese of Salamanca, which installed the Seminary of San Carlos there.
In 1940, the Pontifical University of Salamanca was established by Pope Pius XII, and the Diocese handed over the building to it as its headquarters. Although the transfer did not include the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Pontifical University ceased religious worship there in September 2012 in order to convert it to tourist use. Only weddings for alumni and individuals connected with the Pontifical University are permitted to be celebrated there.