SANTO DOMINGO DE LA CRUZ EXHIBITION HALL

The 16th century was the golden age of the Estudio de San Esteban. The success of the School of Salamanca made San Esteban a focal point of attraction for students from other provinces. The Dominicans, apart from the Estudio General, had two colleges attached to the convent, reflecting the impetus that religious orders gave to education at that time.

The first of these was the Colegio de San Cayetano, founded in 1515, of which there is no record of it having its own building independent of the convent. The other was Santo Domingo de la Cruz, which operated from 1535 until approximately 1551 with its own building. It was founded by the Dukes of Béjar and Fray Domingo de Baltanás, a Dominican friar. It was dedicated to Saint Dominic and the devotion to the Holy Cross. Not forgetting that its proximity to Monte Olivetti, where a stone cross commemorated the miracle that occurred in this place during the preaching of Saint Vincent Ferrer, may have influenced the college's name.

The college housed only eight students out of the fifteen planned, and functioned as an educational institution for barely sixteen years, between 1535 and 1551. Economic difficulties forced its closure. From 1714 it was used as a granary, at which point the main door was walled up. The outdoor space was dedicated to a garden for the maintenance of the convent, which had a waterwheel and a well.

With the granting of the title of European City of Culture to Salamanca in 2002, the building and its surrounding gardens were rehabilitated to become an exhibition hall. The hall was inaugurated in January 2002 with the exhibition Auguste Rodin, sculptor. Rodin's Regrets: drawing and photography, which also had the patios of the Escuelas Menores and the Plaza Mayor as venues. That same year it hosted the exhibition Awe in the Gaze. One hundred years of photography in Castilla y León (1839-1939.

In 2014, the Salamanca City Council, Fundación Mapfre, and Fundación Venancio Blanco signed a collaboration agreement for the Santo Domingo Exhibition Hall to host the work of Venancio Blanco. Through this agreement, the building became the headquarters of the Venancio Blanco Foundation, which provides the collection of artistic works it manages, including thousands of drawings, bronze pieces, and other pieces made with different techniques by the sculptor from Salamanca, as well as other works of art by various contemporary authors.

The gardens of Santo Domingo house the permanent exhibition of Venancio Blanco, with sculptures made of bronze and other metals, while the building of the former Santo Domingo College hosts temporary exhibitions.

The structure of Santo Domingo College does not follow the cloister model of the collegiate architecture of the time, nor did it even have its own chapel or library. It was a humble building that combined the functions of residence and study center. For the rest of its needs, it would rely on the facilities of the San Esteban Convent itself, making the construction of a separate chapel unnecessary.

The building presents a simple structure, with a rectangular plan and a double-pitched roof. The variation in the masonry of the walls suggests that its construction was carried out in two phases. Its main facade faces west. The main door, off-center relative to the facade, is framed by an alfiz. In the spandrels of the arch, the coats of arms with the surnames of the Dukes of Béjar, Zúñiga, and Sotomayor stand out, while an inscription, now very worn, announces the name of the college: COLLEGIUM S. DNICI.

The interior is structured into three naves separated by stone arches that support the wooden roof and rest on robust columns, creating an open-plan space that was surely divided into several dependencies.

The Gardens of Santo Domingo de la Cruz, located next to the Exhibition Hall, constitute one of the most tranquil and evocative corners of Salamanca's historic center. It is a landscaped space of intimate and secluded character, conceived not only as a green area, but as a place where art, nature, and heritage are integrated. Its paths, designed for leisurely strolls, traverse a carefully maintained environment where vegetation combines with sculptures by Venancio Blanco, creating a continuous dialogue between landscape and artistic creation.

The garden also functions as a small viewpoint from which one can contemplate views of the city's monumental skyline, adding a scenic attraction to the visit. Its generally quiet and uncrowded atmosphere invites contemplation and rest, moving away from the hustle and bustle of other more frequented areas.

The exhibition installed in the Santo Domingo gardens brings together a carefully selected collection of works chosen by Venancio Blanco himself, which allows visitors to explore the main lines of his artistic creation. Among them are pieces with religious themes such as The Last Supper and Christ Returning to the Father, alongside the figure of the Angel, in which his profound spirituality is clearly manifested.

Added to these are sculptures of classical inspiration, such as the two figures of Hellenistic warriors of Riace, made using the lost-wax technique, which demonstrate his technical mastery and his interest in sculptural tradition. The exhibition also includes more symbolic and evocative works, such as Swan, Woman in the Mirror, or Symphony, in which the artist explores freer and more poetic forms.

Compositions related to bullfighting —bullfighters, horses, and bulls— take on special prominence, reflecting Venancio Blanco's strong connection to the Campo Charro of Salamanca, a landscape that deeply marked his life and work. The figure of Isabella the Catholic completes the ensemble, introducing a historical dimension into the tour.

Overall, the walk through the garden becomes an outdoor artistic experience, where the religious, the classical, and the popular harmoniously coexist, offering a rich and complete vision of the sculptor's creative universe.