SCALA COELI

The Royal College of the Holy Spirit was founded at the beginning of the 17th century by Kings Philip III and Margaret of Austria. The architect chosen to build the complex was Juan Gómez de Mora, a royal architect, and construction began with the church in 1617, lasting for more than one hundred and fifty years. It would be Andrés García de Quiñones who would complete the façade —adding the towers and the bell gable— and build the main cloister, the grand staircase, and the General of Theology, now the Assembly Hall of the Pontifical University. The result was an architectural complex of extraordinary magnitude, considered one of the great masterpieces of European Baroque.

After the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, the building was divided into three parts. The church and sacristy became part of the Royal Clergy of San Marcos, the origin of the name by which the complex is known today. The southern wing, organized around the community cloister, was allocated to Irish students; it currently houses the Vargas Zúñiga Library, in addition to classrooms and offices of the Pontifical University. The college, articulated around the main cloister -Cloister of Studies-, became the seat of the Conciliar Seminary. During the 19th century, and especially during the War of Independence, the building was used on several occasions as barracks and a field hospital. Later, it regained its function as a seminary and, since 1940, has been the headquarters of the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

Although the church was consecrated in 1665, the last section of the façade remained unfinished. The date 1754, engraved on the reverse of the pedestal of the Virgin that crowns the bell gable, indicates the year in which this part of the complex was completed.

It has been noted on numerous occasions that the towers were originally conceived by Andrés García de Quiñones to crown the façade of the Town Hall, of which a beautiful wooden model is preserved, allowing both the similarities and differences with respect to the Clerecía towers to be appreciated. However, Quiñones ended up designing completely new towers for the Church of the Holy Spirit, formed by two superimposed octagonal bodies. In the corners of the second body, he placed obelisks preceded by statues representing the Doctors of the Church, saints of the Society of Jesus, and the Theological and Cardinal Virtues.

Since 2012, it has been possible to ascend the Clerecía towers through the route known as Scala Coeli (Stairway to Heaven).

The tour begins in the vestibule: a common space both for ascending to Scala Coeli and for taking the guided tour of Vita Ignatii.

STAIRCASE
The route to ascend to the towers starts from the Cloister of Studies. It is done via an 18th-century wooden staircase. In total, there are almost two hundred steps (164 to the first bell chamber). At the end of the first section of the staircase, we reach one of the church's tribunes, located above the epistle nave, which are at the same height as the central body of the facade.

TRIBUNES
This space has preserved its original appearance, with clay tile floors and whitewashed walls. The tribunes in Jesuit churches were designed for novices to follow liturgical celebrations, reflecting the strong educational and contemplative orientation of the Society of Jesus. From one of the balconies, you can contemplate the interior of the church, a privileged spot to admire the high altar and its magnificent baroque altarpiece. Currently, the exhibition route only occupies the tribune on the epistle side, although there are plans to extend it to both tribunes and the choir located at the foot of the church.

The exhibition space is divided into three rooms.
• In the first, titled «The Beginning and the End,» highlights include portraits of Doña Margarita of Austria and Philip III, and documentation on the founding of the Royal College of the Society of Jesus.
• The second room is dedicated to the construction of the building.
• The third to the history of the College after the expulsion of the Jesuits.

BELL RINGER'S STAIRCASE
The visit continues up the Bell Ringer's Staircase which leads to the church towers. From the base, it is impressive to observe how the wooden structure rises, attached to the walls inside the north tower, giving the sensation of being suspended in the air. From this point, the first body of the tower is reached.

THE TOWERS
Upon reaching the towers, we can enjoy splendid views of Salamanca's historic quarter. A passage located behind the facade's bell-gable allows for a close view of the church's grand dome and access to the southern tower. The entire city lies at our feet: the Cloister of Studies of the Pontifical University, the New Cathedral, the Convent of San Esteban, La Casa de las Conchas, San Benito, the Palace of Monterrey, Fonseca, etc. In both towers, a modern spiral staircase provides access to the bell tower.

In the tribune located above the epistle nave of the church, an exhibition has been set up where, through panels and models, we can learn about the history of the Royal College. The space has been divided into three rooms:

ROOM 1. THE BEGINNING AND THE END
A brief synthesis of the history of the Royal College of the Holy Spirit, featuring:
• Portraits of the founders: Kings Philip III and Margarita of Austria.
• The history of the founding of the Royal College of the Society of Jesus.
• The College of the Society of Jesus after the expulsion of the Jesuits.

ROOM 2. SOCIETAS IESU DOMUS SALMANTICENSIS.
• On the beginnings of the building's construction: displays the plans of the first project, attributed to Fray Alberto de la Madre de Dios.
• On the precedents and influence of other historical buildings, especially the Monastery of El Escorial.
• The Company's colleges in Spain and their American expansion.
• Stages of the building's construction: through five wooden models, one can see how the building evolved. The last model shows the final result, a majestic building considered a Baroque masterpiece.
• Salamanca during the 18th century: a display case shows the first known map of Salamanca, made by architect Jerónimo García de Quiñones in 1789.
• Various exhibition panels present the biographies of two key figures in the construction of the Royal College: Juan Gómez de Mora and Andrés García de Quiñones, highlighting their architectural legacy and their impact on the building's design.
• From the balcony overlooking the transept, one can contemplate the interior of the church, a privileged place to admire the high altar and its magnificent Baroque altarpiece.

ROOM 3. A NEW REBIRTH
• Several black and white photographs show the damage suffered by the building in the 19th century.
• As a testament to its recent history, the document creating the Pontifical University in 1940.