CHURCH OF SAN CRISTÓBAL
30 minutes
The Church of San Cristóbal was founded in the mid-12th century in the territory of the Toresan settlers. Difficulties in populating the area led to its cession to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and later, after the suppression of said order, it passed to the encomienda of San Juan de Jerusalén. It is a Romanesque-style temple that has undergone numerous renovations over time. It has a single nave, three apses, and characteristic corbels under the eaves. Outside the apse, there are anthropomorphic tombs carved into the rock, remains of the ancient medieval necropolis. In 2000, it received the Europa Nostra Award for its restoration.
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The Church of San Cristóbal stands at the top of the hill of the same name, in the eastern part of the historic city. With the repopulation of Salamanca, carried out by Raymond of Burgundy in 1102, the city was divided into collations or parishes, made up of settlers from various origins. This area, located outside the first medieval walled enclosure, was assigned to the Toresan settlers. Later, in 1147, King Alfonso VII ordered a new fence to be built to protect the suburbs that had emerged outside the wall. The Cerro de San Cristóbal was thus integrated into the new urban enclosure, very close to the Sancti Spíritus gate of the Cerca Nueva (New Wall).
There is no unanimity on the date of its foundation. The latest research points to a date close to the year 1128, when, due to difficulties in populating this area of the city, the church was handed over to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, with the obligation to repopulate the area. With the suppression of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in 1489, its heritage was incorporated, until the 19th century, into the encomienda of Paradinas of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
In 1844, the Church of San Cristóbal was aggregated to the church of Sancti Spíritus and later, in 1887, it was suppressed as a parish. In 1918, the Colegio de San José (St. Joseph's School) was established there, where children from the neighborhood were taught until the 1960s, when the poor condition of the building forced the school to close. The degradation of the temple reached its peak with the collapse of the nave vault in 1985. It was then that restoration work began, which would last ten years. When they finished in 1994, the church had consolidated its structure, cleaned up its facade and sculptural elements. In its apse, a small necropolis excavated in the rock was discovered, where several tombs can still be seen. The meticulous restoration received the Europa Nostra Award for the protection of architectural heritage in 2000.
There is no unanimity on the date of its foundation. The latest research points to a date close to the year 1128, when, due to difficulties in populating this area of the city, the church was handed over to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, with the obligation to repopulate the area. With the suppression of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in 1489, its heritage was incorporated, until the 19th century, into the encomienda of Paradinas of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.
In 1844, the Church of San Cristóbal was aggregated to the church of Sancti Spíritus and later, in 1887, it was suppressed as a parish. In 1918, the Colegio de San José (St. Joseph's School) was established there, where children from the neighborhood were taught until the 1960s, when the poor condition of the building forced the school to close. The degradation of the temple reached its peak with the collapse of the nave vault in 1985. It was then that restoration work began, which would last ten years. When they finished in 1994, the church had consolidated its structure, cleaned up its facade and sculptural elements. In its apse, a small necropolis excavated in the rock was discovered, where several tombs can still be seen. The meticulous restoration received the Europa Nostra Award for the protection of architectural heritage in 2000.
In the surroundings of the square, in addition to the church, some heritage elements of interest are preserved:
MEDIEVAL NECROPOLIS
During successive renovations of the small square, a series of anthropomorphic tombs carved into the rock came to light, remains of the primitive medieval necropolis associated with the church. Some of them can be seen outside the apse of the temple and inside, in the area of the high altar, a glass panel allows viewing of the original rocky floor and several tombs.
COBBLESTONE STAIRCASE
During the renovations carried out in the square in the nineties, an old staircase made of pebbles was preserved and integrated into the small square. This staircase, whose origin is unknown, overcame the significant difference in elevation that the square has in its western area, where the hillside descends steeply to the Santo Domingo Stream (now channeled under Gran Vía).
HERMITAGE OF LA MISERICORDIA
In the lower part of the square was the Hermitage of La Misericordia. This hermitage was built at the end of the 14th century as a hostel and hospital for pilgrims; two centuries later, it became the headquarters of a brotherhood that assisted those condemned to death until the end of the 19th century.
The building was rebuilt in the 18th century, and its main façade dates from that period. The baroque bell-gable that crowned the facade was moved in 1916 to the old parish of the Pizarrales neighborhood.
For years, the hermitage housed the parish cinema linked to the Colegio de San José, established in the Church of San Cristóbal in the first half of the 20th century. From the sixties until 2018 it has been used as a printing press, and it is currently being restored to be converted into tourist apartments.
SCULPTURE OF SAN CRISTÓBAL
The square located in the surroundings of the temple was renovated in the nineties, and a bronze sculpture dedicated to San Cristóbal was then placed in the center of the gardens. It was created by Valeriano Hernández Fraile in 1997. The sculpture, 2.40m tall, stands on a granite pedestal. It represents the saint as a vigorous and gigantic man, in the act of carrying the Child Jesus to the other side of the river.
MEDIEVAL NECROPOLIS
During successive renovations of the small square, a series of anthropomorphic tombs carved into the rock came to light, remains of the primitive medieval necropolis associated with the church. Some of them can be seen outside the apse of the temple and inside, in the area of the high altar, a glass panel allows viewing of the original rocky floor and several tombs.
COBBLESTONE STAIRCASE
During the renovations carried out in the square in the nineties, an old staircase made of pebbles was preserved and integrated into the small square. This staircase, whose origin is unknown, overcame the significant difference in elevation that the square has in its western area, where the hillside descends steeply to the Santo Domingo Stream (now channeled under Gran Vía).
HERMITAGE OF LA MISERICORDIA
In the lower part of the square was the Hermitage of La Misericordia. This hermitage was built at the end of the 14th century as a hostel and hospital for pilgrims; two centuries later, it became the headquarters of a brotherhood that assisted those condemned to death until the end of the 19th century.
The building was rebuilt in the 18th century, and its main façade dates from that period. The baroque bell-gable that crowned the facade was moved in 1916 to the old parish of the Pizarrales neighborhood.
For years, the hermitage housed the parish cinema linked to the Colegio de San José, established in the Church of San Cristóbal in the first half of the 20th century. From the sixties until 2018 it has been used as a printing press, and it is currently being restored to be converted into tourist apartments.
SCULPTURE OF SAN CRISTÓBAL
The square located in the surroundings of the temple was renovated in the nineties, and a bronze sculpture dedicated to San Cristóbal was then placed in the center of the gardens. It was created by Valeriano Hernández Fraile in 1997. The sculpture, 2.40m tall, stands on a granite pedestal. It represents the saint as a vigorous and gigantic man, in the act of carrying the Child Jesus to the other side of the river.
The Church of San Cristóbal stands on elevated, rocky ground. It is surrounded by a low stone wall with a stairway providing access to the temple. Its foundation took place in the first half of the 12th century. However, the characteristics of the church we see today reveal that it was built between the second half of that century and the mid-13th century, having undergone profound transformations over the centuries. It was entirely constructed with Villamayor sandstone ashlar masonry, bearing numerous stonemasons' marks.
It is a church with a Latin cross plan, a single nave, and an apse with three apses, comprising a semicircular main chapel and two lateral chapels with flat end walls. The church originally had a bell tower located at the foot of the nave. In the 18th century, this collapsed and fell onto the nave, necessitating its reconstruction. The northern portal seems to correspond to this renovation, reusing ashlar blocks with flowers inscribed in circles from the primitive Romanesque facade.
On the exterior, the central apse features an ashlar plinth resting on a rocky outcrop where a medieval necropolis of anthropomorphic tombs was excavated. The wall is articulated in three sections by pilasters that reach the cornice. The three apses are topped with dog-tooth cornices supported by corbels decorated with various motifs: boar's head, double-headed eagle, figure with a barrel on his back, harpies, crosses, scrolls, balls, etc. The remaining walls are topped by cavetto cornices which, in the case of the Gospel chapel and the transept, are decorated with groups of very roughly carved anthropomorphic heads. The corbels of the nave's northern eaves were placed during the 20th-century restoration, originating from infill material found inside.
INTERIOR
Inside, the main chapel is covered by a semi-dome vault, while the chancel features a barrel vault. The lateral chapels are covered by barrel vaults and open to the respective southern and northern arms of the transept through semicircular arches. The nave originally had a barrel vault but, after the collapse of the tower in the 17th century, it fell and was replaced by a wooden roof.
The interior decoration highlights include some impost lines with dog-tooth patterns and palmettes inscribed in circles. Most of the capital baskets are decorated with vegetal elements, such as schematic acanthus leaves, volutes, pinecones, etc., with one notable example featuring intricate ropework from which the heads of two lions emerge. The abaci of the capitals display intertwined rings and three-leaf flowers inscribed in circles.
CRISTO DE LOS CARBONEROS
Of particular interest is the crucifix known as "Cristo de los Carboneros." It is a polychrome wooden carving, now repainted, depicting Christ fastened with four nails to a plain cross. His eyes are closed, and his head has long hair that falls behind his ears, spreading in strands over his shoulders. The anatomy is schematic, with very pronounced ribs. It dates from the early 13th century.
RELIEF OF THE HOLY ENTOMBMENT
Embedded in the wall of the Epistle chapel is a magnificent stone high relief depicting the Holy Entombment of Christ, a work from 1624 by sculptor Pedro Hernández.
It is a church with a Latin cross plan, a single nave, and an apse with three apses, comprising a semicircular main chapel and two lateral chapels with flat end walls. The church originally had a bell tower located at the foot of the nave. In the 18th century, this collapsed and fell onto the nave, necessitating its reconstruction. The northern portal seems to correspond to this renovation, reusing ashlar blocks with flowers inscribed in circles from the primitive Romanesque facade.
On the exterior, the central apse features an ashlar plinth resting on a rocky outcrop where a medieval necropolis of anthropomorphic tombs was excavated. The wall is articulated in three sections by pilasters that reach the cornice. The three apses are topped with dog-tooth cornices supported by corbels decorated with various motifs: boar's head, double-headed eagle, figure with a barrel on his back, harpies, crosses, scrolls, balls, etc. The remaining walls are topped by cavetto cornices which, in the case of the Gospel chapel and the transept, are decorated with groups of very roughly carved anthropomorphic heads. The corbels of the nave's northern eaves were placed during the 20th-century restoration, originating from infill material found inside.
INTERIOR
Inside, the main chapel is covered by a semi-dome vault, while the chancel features a barrel vault. The lateral chapels are covered by barrel vaults and open to the respective southern and northern arms of the transept through semicircular arches. The nave originally had a barrel vault but, after the collapse of the tower in the 17th century, it fell and was replaced by a wooden roof.
The interior decoration highlights include some impost lines with dog-tooth patterns and palmettes inscribed in circles. Most of the capital baskets are decorated with vegetal elements, such as schematic acanthus leaves, volutes, pinecones, etc., with one notable example featuring intricate ropework from which the heads of two lions emerge. The abaci of the capitals display intertwined rings and three-leaf flowers inscribed in circles.
CRISTO DE LOS CARBONEROS
Of particular interest is the crucifix known as "Cristo de los Carboneros." It is a polychrome wooden carving, now repainted, depicting Christ fastened with four nails to a plain cross. His eyes are closed, and his head has long hair that falls behind his ears, spreading in strands over his shoulders. The anatomy is schematic, with very pronounced ribs. It dates from the early 13th century.
RELIEF OF THE HOLY ENTOMBMENT
Embedded in the wall of the Epistle chapel is a magnificent stone high relief depicting the Holy Entombment of Christ, a work from 1624 by sculptor Pedro Hernández.