BAROQUE ALTARPIECE OF SAN ESTEBAN CHURCH

The Dominicans settled in Salamanca around 1224, initially establishing their convent outside the city walls, in the church of San Juan el Blanco, located in the Tormes river plain. Frequent floods of the river eventually destroyed that first settlement, leading them to receive the donation of a small Romanesque temple dedicated to San Esteban. On that site, starting in 1256, a primitive Gothic convent was built, which would later be demolished to make way for the current building, begun in 1524.

From its origins, the Convent of San Esteban consolidated itself as an important center for the study and teaching of Theology. In this context, it received a visit from Christopher Columbus between 1486 and 1487, in search of support for his navigation projects. There he was welcomed by Fray Diego de Deza, prior of the convent and confessor to Queen Isabel, who became one of his main supporters.

The convent achieved remarkable intellectual prestige, especially through figures such as Domingo de Soto and Francisco de Vitoria, considered the founder of the School of Salamanca, father of International Law, and defender of the rights of indigenous peoples of America.

Throughout its history, the building suffered numerous setbacks. During the Peninsular War, it was occupied by French troops, who plundered it and used the cloister as stables. Later, the Decree of Exclaustration of 1835 forced the friars to abandon it, and part of the complex was used for military and welfare purposes, while its furniture and library were plundered. The church, however, remained open for worship as the parish of San Pablo for a time.

In 1861, the processional cloister housed the Provincial Museum, which implied its architectural adaptation. Finally, in 1892, the convent was reoccupied by the Order of Preachers. Currently, it maintains a community of friars dedicated to the study, preaching, and teaching of Theology, in addition to having a Faculty of Theology and a publishing house specialized in Dominican thought and Christian humanism.

The promoter 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 presbytery, higher than the rest of the church, is presided over by the magnificent altarpiece made at the end of the 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 commissioned 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 century. It became not only the most important work by José de Churriguera but also a culminating work of Spanish altarpiece art, becoming a model that would be replicated throughout Spanish and Hispanic American territory.

The main altarpiece of the Church of San Esteban 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 the hundred beams gifted to the convent by the Duke of Alba. It corresponds to the altarpiece-niche model that adapts to the polygonal profile of the main chapel. It is the largest altarpiece preserved in Salamanca, measuring approximately 26 meters high by 14 meters wide. It consists of a predella, a main body with three sections (streets), and a semicircular attic.

It stands on an elevated plinth where two lateral doors open, providing 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 lateral 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 tabernacle-shrine resembles a small temple, with Solomonic columns supporting a large dome, atop which a small image of Saint Thomas Aquinas stands.

In the center of the attic is the painting of the Stoning of Saint Stephen, painted by Claudio Coello. 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 carrying the 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 strings of fruits and vegetal elements. Vine shoots and thick bunches of grapes entwine around the columns to ascend to the capital. Flowers, leaves, and fruits form garlands that cover the moldings and the arches of the niches. The draperies, with their folds, undulations, and tassels, also serve as decorative motifs. Angels of different sizes fly over the altarpiece and rest in unstable balance on the cornices, creating an impression of movement throughout the ensemble. The gilding was of such quality that it still appears in perfect condition. The solemn placement of the Blessed Sacrament took place in 1740 with a solemn mass and a fireworks display.