Constellation of Baroque Altarpieces

La Vera Cruz is the only brotherhood in Salamanca that owns its own temple. The building was constructed in the 16th century following the design of architect Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón.

Inside, the intense Baroque remodeling carried out in the 18th century by Joaquín de Churriguera stands out, which endowed the temple with exuberant decoration based on vegetal motifs, cherubs, and Marian and Passion symbols, covering walls and structures.

The main altarpiece, attributed to Churriguera and ex...

The Altarpiece of the Purísima is located in the church of the Convent of the Augustinian Recollects in Salamanca. It was commissioned in 1633 by the III Count of Monterrey to the Italian sculptor Cósimo Fanzago. This work, sculpted entirely in polychrome marbles, constitutes an emblematic piece of its time. The main protagonist of the altarpiece is the Immaculate Conception, painted by José de Ribera in 1635. All eyes turn towards it when entering the temple. The four canvases flanking the Imma...

The main altarpiece of the Church of La Clerecía is one of the most outstanding works of Spanish altarpiece art and the second largest in Salamanca, only surpassed by that of San Esteban. As a whole, it stands out for both its extraordinary artistic value and its profound religious symbolism.

The structure of this altarpiece, a true Baroque masterpiece, was commissioned in 1673 to Juan Fernández, while the reliefs and sculptures were contracted with Juan Rodríguez, a disciple of Gregorio...

The University of Salamanca preserves a valuable historical heritage composed of emblematic buildings and spaces that are still in use and receive hundreds of visitors every day, either for their artistic and historical interest or for their academic activities. Among them, the Escuelas Mayores building stands out, with its famous Plateresque facade. Inside, the old classrooms dedicated to relevant figures of the institution —such as Unamuno, Fray Luis de León or Francisco de Vitoria—,...

The central chapel in the apse of the New Cathedral of Salamanca is dedicated to the Christ of the Battles and houses a prominent Baroque altarpiece made by Alberto de Churriguera, donated in 1733 by Bishop José Sancho Granado.

In its central niche, the Christ of the Battles is venerated, a Romanesque-Byzantine style crucifix that, according to tradition, belonged to El Cid Campeador. The image would have been brought to Salamanca by Jerónimo de Perigord, El Cid's chaplain and later bishop of...

The main altarpiece of the parish of Sancti Spíritus, formerly the church of the Convent of the Comendadoras de Santiago, is a prominent 17th-century work that combines architecture and sculpture with rich iconography centered on the legendary history of the Apostle Saint James.

Several artists participated in its execution, among whom the sculptor Antonio de Paz stands out, responsible for a fundamental part of its sculptural program. The altarpiece articulates a complex architectural struct...

The origins of the Convent of Santa Clara date back to the 13th century. In 2019, due to a lack of vocations, the congregation of Poor Clares left the convent, which was transformed into a museum.

The church is decorated with seven Baroque altarpieces, notably the main altarpiece, created in the early 18th century by Joaquín de Churriguera and Pedro de Gamboa. It is a magnificent example of Salamancan Baroque, distinguished by its decorative richness and its harmonious adaptation to the templ...

The main altarpiece of the church of San Esteban, created by José Benito de Churriguera at the end of the 17th century, is one of the masterpieces of Spanish Baroque and the largest altarpiece preserved in Salamanca, approximately 26 meters high.

Its structure is organized around six large Solomonic columns of giant order, profusely decorated with tendrils and vine leaves. Between them, in two lateral niches, are the sculptures of Saint Dominic of Guzmán and Saint Francis of Assisi.

At th...