BAROQUE ALTARPIECE OF SAN ESTEBAN CHURCH
20 minutes
Although the presence of the Dominican Fathers in Salamanca dates back to the early 12th century, the current architectural complex of the Convent of San Esteban was built between the 15th and 17th centuries, although Plateresque is the style that best defines its identity. Its impressive facade is considered one of the masterpieces of Plateresque art. It is organized like a gigantic altarpiece, in the center of which the martyrdom of Saint Stephen is depicted. Inside, highlights include the church, the Cloister of the Kings, the Soto Staircase, and the choir, adorned with Palomino's imposing fresco. The church, with a single nave and a Latin cross plan, is presided over by a majestic altarpiece, a work by José de Churriguera from the late 17th century.
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Free visit price
- Individual - 3.50 €
- Grupos (Número mínimo: 20) - 3.00 €
- Jubilados - 3.00 €
- Estudiantes - 3.00 €
- Niños - 0.00 €
The Dominicans settled in Salamanca around the year 1224. Their first convent was located outside the city walls, in the Church of San Juan el Blanco, situated in the Tormes river plain. Frequent floods destroyed that convent. They then received the donation of a small Romanesque temple dedicated to Saint Stephen. On the site occupied by the parish church of San Esteban, they erected the primitive Gothic convent starting in 1256, later demolished to build the current one, begun in 1524.
The Convent of San Esteban was, from its origin, an important center for the study and teaching of Theology. It was a first-rate cultural hub with figures of the stature of Domingo de Soto or Francisco de Vitoria, initiator of the School of Salamanca, father of International Law and defender of the rights of indigenous Americans.
Christopher Columbus visited this convent between 1486 and 1487 in search of support for his voyages. Here he was welcomed by the prior, Fray Diego de Deza, confessor to Queen Isabella, who would become his great benefactor.
In this place, Saint Teresa of Jesus received spiritual guidance, and it is said that she used to confess in one of the confessionals in the cloister. Saint Ignatius of Loyola spent five days living with the friars of the convent who examined him on his doctrine. When he left the convent, he was taken to the episcopal prison. The restriction on preaching without having completed his theological studies prompted him to leave the city and move to Paris to continue his education.
During the Peninsular War, the convent was occupied by the French, who plundered all its valuables and used the cloister as stables. The Disentailment Decree of 1835 forced the friars to abandon the convent. Some of the buildings of the monastic complex were used as barracks and an infirmary. The convent's furniture and library were plundered. However, the church remained open as it was temporarily converted into the parish of San Pablo. In 1861, the provincial Museum was installed in the Cloister of Processions, which led to its renovation. From 1892, it once again functioned as a convent of the Order of Preachers. Currently, there is a community of friars dedicated to the study, preaching, and teaching of Theology. It has a Faculty of Theology and a publishing house focused on Dominican themes and Christian humanism.
The patron of the current church of San Esteban was Cardinal Juan Álvarez de Toledo, son of the II Duke of Alba and uncle of the III Duke of Alba, who was a friar of this convent. The church was designed by the architect Juan de Álava. Its construction began in 1524 under the direction of said architect, and was subsequently continued by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and Juan Ribero, being consecrated in 1610. It is a single-nave church with a Latin cross plan. The chancel, higher than the rest of the church, is presided over by the magnificent altarpiece created in the late 17th century (1692-93) by José de Churriguera, considered one of the most important altarpieces of Spanish Baroque.
The contract with Churriguera included the architecture of the altarpiece and the sculptures, but not the gilding or polychromy of the images, which were contracted in 1739, specifying that the master gilders should use gold leaf of the highest purity. This altarpiece ended up being the prototype of the Spanish altarpiece between the mid-17th and the last third of the 18th centuries. It became not only José de Churriguera's most important work, but also a masterpiece of Spanish altarpiece art, becoming a model that would be replicated throughout Spanish and Hispano-American territory.
The Convent of San Esteban was, from its origin, an important center for the study and teaching of Theology. It was a first-rate cultural hub with figures of the stature of Domingo de Soto or Francisco de Vitoria, initiator of the School of Salamanca, father of International Law and defender of the rights of indigenous Americans.
Christopher Columbus visited this convent between 1486 and 1487 in search of support for his voyages. Here he was welcomed by the prior, Fray Diego de Deza, confessor to Queen Isabella, who would become his great benefactor.
In this place, Saint Teresa of Jesus received spiritual guidance, and it is said that she used to confess in one of the confessionals in the cloister. Saint Ignatius of Loyola spent five days living with the friars of the convent who examined him on his doctrine. When he left the convent, he was taken to the episcopal prison. The restriction on preaching without having completed his theological studies prompted him to leave the city and move to Paris to continue his education.
During the Peninsular War, the convent was occupied by the French, who plundered all its valuables and used the cloister as stables. The Disentailment Decree of 1835 forced the friars to abandon the convent. Some of the buildings of the monastic complex were used as barracks and an infirmary. The convent's furniture and library were plundered. However, the church remained open as it was temporarily converted into the parish of San Pablo. In 1861, the provincial Museum was installed in the Cloister of Processions, which led to its renovation. From 1892, it once again functioned as a convent of the Order of Preachers. Currently, there is a community of friars dedicated to the study, preaching, and teaching of Theology. It has a Faculty of Theology and a publishing house focused on Dominican themes and Christian humanism.
The patron of the current church of San Esteban was Cardinal Juan Álvarez de Toledo, son of the II Duke of Alba and uncle of the III Duke of Alba, who was a friar of this convent. The church was designed by the architect Juan de Álava. Its construction began in 1524 under the direction of said architect, and was subsequently continued by Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón and Juan Ribero, being consecrated in 1610. It is a single-nave church with a Latin cross plan. The chancel, higher than the rest of the church, is presided over by the magnificent altarpiece created in the late 17th century (1692-93) by José de Churriguera, considered one of the most important altarpieces of Spanish Baroque.
The contract with Churriguera included the architecture of the altarpiece and the sculptures, but not the gilding or polychromy of the images, which were contracted in 1739, specifying that the master gilders should use gold leaf of the highest purity. This altarpiece ended up being the prototype of the Spanish altarpiece between the mid-17th and the last third of the 18th centuries. It became not only José de Churriguera's most important work, but also a masterpiece of Spanish altarpiece art, becoming a model that would be replicated throughout Spanish and Hispano-American territory.
The main altarpiece of the San Esteban Church was built by José Benito de Churriguera between 1692 and 1694. The contract specified that the material used should be Soria or Balsaín pine, in addition to one hundred beams donated to the convent by the Duke of Alba. It adheres to the niche-altarpiece model, adapting to the polygonal profile of the main chapel. It is the largest altarpiece preserved in Salamanca, measuring about 26 meters high and 14 meters wide. It consists of a predella, a central body with three sections, and a semicircular attic.
It stands on an elevated base, where two side doors open, giving access to the old crypt. The central body is articulated with six large Solomonic columns of giant order, decorated with vine shoots and grape leaves, symbols of the Eucharist. In the side sections, between the columns, two niches open with sculptures of Saint Dominic de Guzmán, on the Epistle side, and Saint Francis of Assisi, on the Gospel side. The center of the altarpiece is presided over by the large expositor of the Blessed Sacrament, which occupies the entire central section, at the same height as the columns. The tabernacle-sanctuary resembles a small temple, with Solomonic columns supporting a large dome, above which a small image of Saint Thomas Aquinas is raised. A canvas depicting the Assumption of the Virgin, almost three meters high, used to close the tabernacle; this fabric could be raised and lowered thanks to a pulley system. Today, it is displayed in one of the convent's rooms.
In the center of the attic is the painting of the Stoning of Saint Stephen, by Claudio Coello, which depicts the same scene that appears on the church's facade. On the sides, two angels carry the palm and crown of martyrdom, alluding to the martyrdom suffered by the saint, considered the first martyr of Christianity. Above the painting are two angels holding a laurel wreath, a symbol of victory over death.
The altarpiece's decoration is completed with multiple figures of cherubs and, above all, with an exuberant carving of fruit garlands and plant motifs. Vine shoots and thick bunches of grapes entwine the columns to ascend to the capital. Flowers, leaves, and fruits form garlands covering the moldings and the arches of the niches. Drapes, with their folds, undulations, and tassels, also serve as decorative motifs. Angels of different sizes hover over the altarpiece and rest in unstable balance on the cornices, creating an impression of movement throughout the ensemble. These images provide a touch of color against the golden background. The gilding was of such high quality that it is still in perfect condition. The solemn placement of the Blessed Sacrament took place in 1740 with a solemn mass and a fireworks display.
It stands on an elevated base, where two side doors open, giving access to the old crypt. The central body is articulated with six large Solomonic columns of giant order, decorated with vine shoots and grape leaves, symbols of the Eucharist. In the side sections, between the columns, two niches open with sculptures of Saint Dominic de Guzmán, on the Epistle side, and Saint Francis of Assisi, on the Gospel side. The center of the altarpiece is presided over by the large expositor of the Blessed Sacrament, which occupies the entire central section, at the same height as the columns. The tabernacle-sanctuary resembles a small temple, with Solomonic columns supporting a large dome, above which a small image of Saint Thomas Aquinas is raised. A canvas depicting the Assumption of the Virgin, almost three meters high, used to close the tabernacle; this fabric could be raised and lowered thanks to a pulley system. Today, it is displayed in one of the convent's rooms.
In the center of the attic is the painting of the Stoning of Saint Stephen, by Claudio Coello, which depicts the same scene that appears on the church's facade. On the sides, two angels carry the palm and crown of martyrdom, alluding to the martyrdom suffered by the saint, considered the first martyr of Christianity. Above the painting are two angels holding a laurel wreath, a symbol of victory over death.
The altarpiece's decoration is completed with multiple figures of cherubs and, above all, with an exuberant carving of fruit garlands and plant motifs. Vine shoots and thick bunches of grapes entwine the columns to ascend to the capital. Flowers, leaves, and fruits form garlands covering the moldings and the arches of the niches. Drapes, with their folds, undulations, and tassels, also serve as decorative motifs. Angels of different sizes hover over the altarpiece and rest in unstable balance on the cornices, creating an impression of movement throughout the ensemble. These images provide a touch of color against the golden background. The gilding was of such high quality that it is still in perfect condition. The solemn placement of the Blessed Sacrament took place in 1740 with a solemn mass and a fireworks display.