Ieronimus. Cathedral Towers

Ieronimus is the Latin name for Don Jerónimo de Périgueux (1060?-1120), one of the most renowned Spanish bishops of French origin, a key figure in the Reconquista, chaplain to El Cid Campeador, and Bishop of Valencia. He was assigned to Salamanca when the diocese was restored in 1102, during its Christian resettlement period by Count Raymond of Burgundy and Doña Urraca.

Ieronimus is central to this exhibition because:

• He marks the beginning of more than 900 years of art and history of Salamanca Cathedral.
• He was commissioned to build the Church of Santa María (Old Cathedral), thus initiating a long trajectory that has made Salamanca a unique city for having two cathedrals: the Old Cathedral, built between the 12th and 15th centuries, and the New Cathedral, erected between the 16th and 18th centuries.
• He brought with him, upon his transfer from the Episcopal See of Valencia to that of Salamanca, the oldest documents of the Salamanca Cathedral Archive: the donations of El Cid Campeador in 1098 and Doña Jimena in 1101, and the famous "Cristo de las Batallas" (Christ of the Battles), the object of the most fervent devotion of the people of Salamanca throughout their history, and today venerated in the chapel that bears its name at the head of the New Cathedral.

From ground level up to the Bell Chamber, through various rooms, passages, terraces, and viewpoints.

The Dungeon Room. This is the first room on the tour of the Cathedral Towers. Formerly the prison chamber, it was completely inaccessible from the outside. The door was opened in 1614 to allow access to the towers for Cathedral staff, who converted it into part of their living quarters.

The Jailer's Room. This small room possibly served as a guard room for the dungeon, hence its name. Before the restoration, this room housed a lavatory used by the families living in the Tower. It is located midway between the staircase leading into the Old Cathedral and the staircase descending to the Dungeon Room.