Iglesia de San Benito

Introduction
It is a Gothic church in which an outstanding façade which depicts the Annunciation.

Chronology
It was built in 1490 in the Isabelian Gothic style.The church has a single nave with Gothic starry vaults. In the interior the neoclassic altarpiece stands out.

Historical fact
The origins of this church date back to 1104. During the Middle Ages the city of Salamanca was divided by two warring families. One of them was named after this church. These families, San Benito and San Tomé, had violent confrontations in the streets of Salamanca.
In 1490 the church was rebuilt under the initiative of Alonso de Fonseca who was the archbishop of Santiago at that time. The Maldonados, who were one of the most important families at that time, also contributed to its reconstruction. The church was consecrated as a pantheon to this family and its coat of arms are displayed thoughout the whole building. It is necessary to comment that until the 18th century, burials were made inside churches. The pantheon were reserved for noble or wealthy families, and the floor for the rest of the population.

Architectural element
One surprising aspect of this church is its great size. It has a polygonal apse and is covered by three Gothic vaults. Thick buttresses support the weight of the roof. The façade, which is an interesting expression of Gothic-flamenco art, is protected by a simple wooden roof. The entrance door has a flattened arch decorated with floral motifs. It depicts scenes of the Annunciation framed by keel arches and two half point arches. Above these two arches we find an image of the Creator with the globe in one hand. At the top of the façade are the coat of arms of the Fonseca family, on the observer's left, and of the Acebedo family on the right.

Other artistic elements
In the interior, the walls are hollowed to serve as niches. These Gothic pantheons are beautifully sculpted. Among them the visitor should note the niche of Elvira Hernández Cabeza de Vaca, located in the presbytery. She is dressed in the fashion of the days of the Catholic Kings. The main altarpiece, considered the best neoclassic altarpiece in Salamanca, was built in the 18th century by Juan de Sargavinaga. At the top of the altarpiece the Annunciation is depicted. In middle we find a beautiful Calvary from the 16th century.

Curiosity legend
Alonso de Fonseca was baptized in this church when he was born and it was he who later took the decision to reconstruct it.
As has already been pointed out, the church was the headquarters of one of the two factions that fought for power in the city throughout the Low Middle Ages. The territory of the San Benito faction was the west side of the city. The Santo Tomé faction was on the east side. The "headquarters" of the Santo Tomé faction was the current Plaza de los Bandos (Square of the Factions), named after the feud.

Open hours
Just before mass. Holidays: 1:00 pm, 9:00 pm. Eves of holidays: 8:30 pm

Construction date
In 1490. 

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Clerecía

Introduction
This building is considered one of the masterpieces of the Spanish Baroque.

Chronology
It is Baroque and was built between 1611 and 1755. The most baroque elements of the building can be seen in the towers of the façade and in the cloister.

Historical fact
Originally known as Royal School of the Company of Jesus, it was founded in 1611 by Queen Margarita of Austria, the wife of Philipp III. The queen's objective was to create a school where apostles and missionaries were formed to extend the Catholic faith and to combat heresy in Europe. It is known with the name of the Clerecía ("Clergy") because after the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, it was given to the Royal Clergy of Saint Mark.
It was built in a context of economic decadence and social crisis for the city of Salamanca. At the beginning of the 17th century the number of unemployed people and beggars increased spectacularly. In 1609 Philipp III decreed the expulsion of the Moors still remaining in Spain after the Reconquest. More than 500 families left Salamanca. To make matters worse, in January of 1626, a flood caused more than 150 victims and the destruction of some 500 buildings in the lands near the river. In spite of the fact that the Clerecía was constructed at this point of decadence, it is considered one of the masterpieces of universal Baroque.
To build the Clerecía it was necessary to demolish a large number of private homes and some religious buildings. Construction began on November 12, 1617 and various architects participated in the project. The original plans belonged to Juan Gómez de Mora; the domes and the vault were designed by Pedro Mato and the towers and the crest plate are the work of Andrés García de Quiñones. Construction on the building concluded in 1755.
In 1854 the building was occupied by the Jesuits again, although since 1940 it has been the headquarters of the Papal University.

Architectural element
The general concept of the building reflects the traditional ideas of old monasteries. It is composed of a public part, church and schools where the Jesuits gave classes. There is also a private area where the clergy lived.
Although all these areas are joined to the large cloister, the most outstanding part is the church. The floor plan, derived from the Roman church of Gesú, is based on the Latin cross. The façade is composed of three horizontal sections with Corinthian columns. On the first section we find three simple doors with a lintel. The one in the centre is crowned with the image of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The second section has a window with split pediment, which is very characteristic of the Baroque, and two empty shields. The third section is the most Baroque of the three. It is composed of two towers on the ends with a crest plate in the centre which has a relief of the Assumpion of the Virgin. On the crest plate there are statues of Philipp III and Margarita of Austria.
The cloister has been described as "one of the most complete Baroque creations of all time". It is divided into three sections framed by giant columns. At the bottom we find an arcade with half point arcades.

Other artistic elements
Inside the church there are impressive altarpieces with slender salomonic columns. The central one depicts the coming of the Holy Spirit and Saint Ignatius of Loyola writing his spiritual exercises. The side altarpieces are dedicated to Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier.
The dome of the temple has four enormous royal coats of arms, a drum and a large lantern. Originated perhaps by a poor structural design, it has always remained in an unstable balance. After the earthquake of Lisbon it had to be reinforced with metallic elements to avoid collapsing.

Curiosity legend
It has always been said that the façade expresses the concept of ascending to the heavens. An interpretation of the façade’s decorative elements could be the following: the Virgin with the help of inspiration from the Holy Spirit and material support from the Spanish Monarchs, represented by the figures of king Philipp and queen Margarita, facilitate the teachings of the order, represented in the first section by its founder San Ignatius of Loyola.
Because the monastry does not have an orchard or a garden, both the school and the private area where the clergy live have a high gallery along which people can take a walk and enjoy the sun in winter
At the moment of its construction, the Jesuits had great power in Salamanca. That is how they could demolish such a large number of private homes. The House of the Shells and several religious buildings miraculously survived.

Open hours
Half an hour before mass. Mondays to Fridays at 1:15 pm. Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Sundays and festival at 12:30 pm. Free entrance.

Construction date
Between 1611 and 1755.

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Catedral Vieja

Introduction
The Tower of the Rooster and the main altarpiece are outstanding features.

Historical fact
In 1102 Count Raimundo de Borgoña and his wife Princess Urraca de Castilla founded the Old Cathedral of Salamanca. They granted the town council a large number of privileges and they subjected a large number of parishes of the province of Salamanca to its jurisdiction. Construction on the cathedral began in 1140. A number of architects participated in the project, among whom the Spaniard Juan Franco and the Frenchman Pierre d´Aix stand out. Experts have distinguished three phases of construction. In the first phase (1150-1175), the apse, the cross vault and the lateral walls of the naves were built. In the second phase (1175-1200), the cloister was built and the naves were covered with domes. In the third phase (1175-1200), the tower of the Rooster was constructed.
By the middle of the century 9th cathedral chapters had definitively settled in Europe. In them, a group of priests lived together with the bishop who advised them. As in monasteries, life in common required a series of norms: all the priests had to dress wearing a common habit and all the cathedrals had to have a cloister and a choir.
Donations were fundamental for building and maintaining cathedrals. In exchange for their contributions, particular donors were guaranteed a pardon of their sins, a worthy funeral and a ceremony on the anniversaries of their death.
On the other hand, the donations and privileges that the kings granted to the cathedral chapters did not have an altruistic purpose only. In the 12th century violence and wars with the Muslims were razing the Iberian Peninsula. Most of its territories had become uninhabited lands. The Monarchy needed vassals to cultivate those lands and pay taxes. But, at the same time, he had to guarantee their safety. The Church and the nobility assumed this role in exchange for privileges and favours. These privileges and donations from the king guaranteed that the chathedrals would be built and maintained.

Architectural element
Contrary to other Romanesque churchs, the Old Cathedral of Salamanca stands out due to the great height of its naves and to its highly illuminated interior. It was built on the design of a Latin cross with three semicircular apses and a prominent cross vault. The apses are covered with barrel vaults with pointed arches. The central and side naves are covered with Gothic cross vaults. This type of covering was not part of the original project, so the pillars had to be reinforced to hold the weight. The capitals are richly decorated with floral motifs, biblical themes and mythological beings.
But, without a doubt, the most characteristic element in the Old Cathedral is the Tower of the Rooster. Considered one of the masterpieces of Spanish Romanesque art, this dome has a drum with a double line of windows and cylindrical towers. The structure is crowned with a pyramid shaped structure decorated with stone flakes and leaves on the edges. These decorative elements are of palpable oriental influence. Salamanca was one of the main stops on the route of silver, along which Byzantine pilgrims arrived to the city. Also a number of Frenchmen who worked on the construction of the cathedral had close contacts with the Byzantine Empire.

Other artistic elements
The altarpiece of the Old Cathedral was painted in 1445 by Dello da Niccoló Delli of Florence, who received the order from Bishop Gonzalo de Vivero. Although it has an ornamental and artistic purpose, its main function is educational. In a society in which most of the population was illiterate, images were the only way to teach the faithful. The altarpiece, which should be read from the bottom up and from the left to the right, is composed of fifty three coloured charts painted in tempera which show the most significant episodes in the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. It is crowned with a scene of the Last Judgement. At Jesus' right are the righteous receiving salvation. To the left are the sinners who are devoured by a great monster that symbolises hell.
A carving of the Virgin de la Vega presides over the altarpiece. The Virgin de la Vega is the patron saint of Salamanca. This carving is considered one of the best examples of medieval metalwork. It is a wooden sculpture covered with copper, brass and gold pieces. The eyes are made of black jet and the robes are covered with precious stones. The faces of the Virgin and Baby Jesus are a perfect example of the lack of expression that characterised medieval sculpture.
The chapel of Saint Martin, located under the Tower of the Bells, was founded around 1262 by Bishop Pedro Pérez. In front of the entrance we find the sepulcher of the bishop, who is shown with a staff and miter. On the chest, held up by lions, we find scenes of his funeral. The Epiphany is depicted under the arch. One of the Magi is giving myrrh to Baby Jesus. Myrrh, oil that was used to embalm cadavers in antiquity, symbolises immortality in medieval iconography. The Last Judgement is depicted in the centre of the chapel. Angels at Christ’s feet call the dead to rise from their tombs for the last judgement. At Jesus' right, the righteous receive their reward; at his left, the sinners are pushed toward hell with lances.
Diverse sepulchres are located along the walls of the cloister. The sepulchre of archdeacon Gutiérrez de Castro stands out due to the magnificent relief personifying Mercy. Four chapels connect with the galleries of the cloister. The chapel of Saint Bartholomew holds the sepulchers of the Anaya family. In the centre is the sepulcher of the founder of the chapel: Diego de Anaya y Maldonado. Made in alabaster, it is surrounded by a wrought iron grill made in 1514.

Curiosity legend
The chapel of Saint Martin is also known as the Chapel of Oil because it contained the oil that was used for the lamps of the cathedral. Due to the thickness of its walls, the cathedral was used as an antiaircraft refuge during the Spanish Civil War. At one point General Franco took up refuge in its interior.
The dome of the old cathedral is known locally as the "Tower of the Rooster" because of the vane in the shape of a rooster that crowns it.

Open hours
From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Price: 3€. For pensioners 2.25 €. Tuesday mornings: until 12:00 am. Spaniards enter free.

Construction date
Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries. 

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