Scala Coeli. A climb up the Clerecía Towers
The towers were designed to bring believers closer to heaven, simply being there is pure delight. But they also allow you to scan the horizon. As Unamuno used to say, Salamanca "Soto de torres" (a copse of towers). And that is why climbing the Clerecía Towers is a singular experience, a breath of fresh air, seeing the world and getting a pleasant insight into our own futures. Scala Coeli is a very singular Escalera al Cielo (Stairway to Heaven), where visitors can enjoy one-of-a-kind panoramic views over the city like never before.
Scala Coeli gives visitors an opportunity to discover the interior of the Colegio Real de la Compañía de Jesús. Work on the building that is today home to the Salamanca Pontificate University began in 1617, upon the orders of Queen Margarita of Austria and Felipe III, as the main Jesuit training centre, graduates later being sent to the Americas and to protestant countries in central Europe. It is a wonderful display of Baroque architecture, of particular note the Escalera Noble (noble staircase) and particularly the magnificent Patio Barroco (Baroque Courtyard) surrounded by a two-storey cloister.
The tour includes access to the Women’s or Public Gallery, whose balconies lead into the Real Clerecía de San Marcos, a wonderful spot from which to marvel at the upper altar and its magnificent Baroque altarpiece. This part of the building is divided into three halls. In the first of these, under the heading “El principio y el fin” (The beginning and the end), visitors will be able to gaze at portraits of Margarita of Austria and Felipe III, as well as documentation about the founding of the Colegio Real de la Compañía de Jesús. The second hall is dedicated to the construction of the building. A third hall focuses on the “nuevo renacer” or new birth.
The tour continues with a climb up the stairs to the church’s two towers. The climb up the stairs, known as the bell-ringer (Campanero), fully restored, uses both light and sound to set the atmosphere for visitors. High in the transept between the towers, visitors get a unique vision of Salamanca, with spectacular perspectives of the historic centre of this World Heritage city.
PRICES
SCALA COELI: Individual tickets: 3.75 Euros / Individual tickets in groups: 3.25 Euros
SCALA COELI/VITA IGNATII: Individual tickets: 6 Euros / Individual tickets in groups: 5 Euros
OPENING TIMES
December, January, February: 10:00-18:00
March to November: 10:00 – 20:00
BOOKINGS: 923 277174 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Calle Compañía 5, 37002 Salamanca
www.torresdelaclerecia.com
