CHURCH OF THE MAGDALENE - Sevillaxm2.com

The Church of Santa María Magdalena in Seville is an imposing Baroque temple built in the transition between the 17th and 18th centuries under the direction of the architect Leonardo de Figueroa. It is one of the most outstanding churches in the city due to its size, monumentality, decorative richness and quality of the works of art it houses. Not in vain, it is possible to find inside works by some of the most outstanding authors in the history of art in the city, such as Jerónimo Hernández, Valdés Leal, Juan de Mesa or Pedro Roldán.

HISTORY

The building that currently houses the parish church of La Magdalena was originally the church of the convent of San Pablo el Real. This monastic centre belonged to the Dominican order and was founded in this place, close to the Puerta de Triana, shortly after the Christian conquest of the city in 1248. The land was donated by King Ferdinand III and the convent had the support of the Crown from the beginning. Hence the name royal and the numerous references to the monarchy found in its decoration.

The convent of San Pablo was the scene of important historical events, such as the founding of the Spanish Inquisition. On February 6, 1481, the first auto-da-fe in our history was held in its premises, in which six people were sentenced to death.

Later, the convent would play an important role in the process of evangelization of Hispanic America, since many of the religious people in charge of this task would leave from here. An example can be found on a marble plaque near the entrance on which the following inscription can be read:

"In this ancient Dominican convent of S. Pablo, on March 30, 1544, the Sevillian Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, protector of the Indians of the New World, was consecrated Bishop of Chiapas.”

The current temple is not the original one of the convent. In the same place there was previously a Mudejar church, some elements of which remain in the current building. This was in a state of ruin at the end of the 17th century and had to be demolished in 1691.

It was then that Leonardo de Figueroa was in charge of the project to build the current church. The works lasted until 1724 and some of the best artists in the city at that time worked on the ornamentation of the temple. The fresco paintings are mainly by Lucas Valdés, who worked together with a large group of painters. The altarpieces are practically all from the 18th century, by the best altarpiece makers of the time. Names of the stature of Jerónimo Hernández, Francisco de Ocampo, Juan de Mesa and Pedro Roldán were involved in their sculptural decoration.

The political and social turbulence of the 19th century meant that the convent church ended up as the parish of La Magdalena. With the disentailments of the 17th century, the church was converted into a parish church. In 1830, the convent was expropriated and the monks had to leave. On the other hand, the previous church of La Magdalena was demolished by order of the French during the Napoleonic occupation of the city. It was located right in the current Plaza de la Magdalena and the brilliant Juan Martínez Montañés was buried there. It is possible that the remains of the sculptor still rest today under the square, as commemorated by a plaque that can be read on the site.

After the expulsion of the French, the reconstruction of the church in its original location began. However, when the works were quite advanced, it was decided to abandon the project and demolish the building to leave the square. The solution for the parish was to move it in 1842 to the convent church of San Pablo, which was empty after the forced abandonment of its monks. The temple thus changed its name and became the church of La Magdalena, although numerous symbolic references to its previous owner persist.

As Santiago Montoto points out in “Parroquias de Sevilla”, “in this temple, among other illustrious Sevillians, are buried the president of the Junta de Defensa against the French, don Francisco Arias de Saavedra, later Regent of the nation, an illustrious man who deserves an extensive and complete monograph, and the unfortunate Count of Águila.

In the baptismal font of the parish, the immortal painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and the illustrious poet don Juan de Jáuregui received the regenerating waters. In the Archives, the marriage certificate of Juan Martínez Montañés and his burial certificate are preserved.”

At present, a total of four brotherhoods have their headquarters in this church:

- Sacramental Brotherhood of the Magdalena, founded in 1575. It processes on Corpus Christi day with a magnificent monstrance from the 18th century, an Immaculate Conception by Benito de Hita y Castillo and a Child Jesus by Jerónimo Hernández.

- Brotherhood of Our Lady of Amparo, founded in the 16th century and re-founded in the 18th century. Its patron saint is a sculpture of the Virgin and Child made by Roque Balduque in 1535. The image is considered the patron saint of the Magdalena neighbourhood and takes part in the procession every second Sunday in November, the day of the Patronage of the Virgin.

- Brotherhood of Quinta Angustia, the result of the merger of two brotherhoods founded in the 16th century, that of Dulce Nombre de Jesús and that of Descendimiento. It makes a penitential station on Holy Thursday.

- Brotherhood of Calvary, founded in the 19th century in the church of San Ildefonso and moved to this parish in 1916. It takes part in the procession in the early hours of Good Friday with an imposing Christ made by Francisco de Ocampo in the 17th century.

It has four entrances from the outside, one at the foot and three on the right wall. The one at the foot would logically be the main one, but the truth is that it is currently in disuse, since that area ended up being configured as the upper and lower choir.

The roof is made by a barrel vault with lunettes in the central nave and the naves of the transept, and with a groin vault in the lateral ones. The center of the transept is covered by a large hemispherical dome on a drum, one of the most spectacular in the city.

Exterior

The church has several exterior doorways to frame its entrances, all of them from the beginning of the 18th century. The main doorway is located at the foot of the church, on Calle Cristo del Calvario, although as we mentioned it is practically in disuse today. It is a simple lintelled entrance topped by a broken pediment. In the centre of the pediment, an ornate niche houses a relief with a half-length representation of Saint Thomas Aquinas holding a monstrance with the Eucharist. The Dominican saint who lived in the 13th century is one of the most outstanding figures of Christian philosophy and theology during the Middle Ages.

On the right side of the temple, we find three other entrances. The one closest to the feet is not decorated and is the one that serves as an independent access to the chapel of Quinta Angustia, which also has a direct connection to the rest of the church.

The central doorway is the largest and the one normally used to access the church. It has a very classical structure, with a semicircular arch flanked by pilasters that support a triangular pediment decorated with baroque rocaille. At the top, there is a cornice supported by corbels and above them a niche with the emblem of the Dominican order. Completing the ensemble, we find the bust of San Fernando, with orb and sword, recalling the royal foundation of the convent.

On the right is another doorway, smaller in size, through which one directly accesses the end of the right arm of the transept. As with the doorway at the foot, it is usually closed. It is a lintelled doorway with a curved pediment split in the centre, from which a niche with Saint Dominic opens. On the sides of the pediment, we find two dogs lying down, holding torches in their mouths, symbols of the saint and the order:

«The Legend (the first biography of Saint Dominic) tells of a vision that his mother, Blessed Juana de Aza, had before Saint Dominic was born. She dreamed that a little dog came out of her womb with a lit torch in its mouth. Unable to understand the meaning of her dream, she decided to seek the intercession of Saint Dominic of Silos, founder of a famous Benedictine monastery nearby. She made a pilgrimage to the monastery to ask the Saint to explain the dream to her. There she understood that her son was going to light the fire of Jesus Christ in the world through preaching. In gratitude, she named her son Domingo, like the saint of Silos. It is a very appropriate name, since Domingo comes from the Latin Dominicus, which means "of the Lord." From Dominicus (Sunday) comes Dominicanus (Dominican, which is the name of the Order of Saint Dominic). However, using a play on words, it is said that Dominicanus is a compound of Dominus (Lord) and canis (dog), meaning "the dog of the Lord" or the guardian of the Lord's vineyard.

In addition, other symbols related to the Dominican order appear in the decoration, such as stars or lilies.

Despite the difficulty of seeing it from close up, the most characteristic element of the temple from the outside is its magnificent dome. It was the first one built in Seville on a drum, followed in this characteristic by those of El Salvador and San Luis de los Franceses, also designed by Leonardo de Figueroa. Specifically, it is an octagonal drum, on which rises the semisphere topped by a large lantern, also with an octagonal plan. To top it off is a huge royal crown of wrought iron, recalling the foundation of the convent by the royal initiative of Fernando III and its strong historical link with the Crown.

This is the first dome built by Leonardo de Figueroa and it already clearly shows some of the defining elements of his style, such as the rotundity of the lantern or the wealth of decorative elements, which also show a notable chromatic variety. These decorative elements have a clear iconographic reading linked to the evangelising work of the order in America. To make reference to this, a series of sculptural elements inspired by artistic representations of some of the pre-Hispanic cultures are included, reinterpreted in a picturesque way.

For example, the lantern is surrounded by a series of Amerindians who act as telamons, that is, they hold the cornice over their heads. In addition, the antefixes feature masks with very emphasized Negroid features, wearing curious feather headdresses in various colors. Other semi-fantastic characters appear in other parts of the façade, such as the pillars, inspired by pre-Hispanic art but in a very deformed way.

On the exterior façade, the church has two ceramic altarpieces. At the foot, on the façade on Cristo del Calvario Street, we find one dedicated to the Virgen del Amparo, patron saint of the parish. It was made in the 1940s by Antonio Muñoz Ruiz for the Mensaque factory and is protected by a small eaves illuminated by two beautiful wrought iron lanterns.

Towards San Pablo Street there is another ceramic altarpiece, dedicated in this case to Christ of Calvary. It was painted in 1942 by Alfonso Córdoba in the Pedro Navía factory in Triana. It is also protected by a roof, in this case of large dimensions. It is covered by glazed tiles and supported by two wrought iron corbels that imitate plant forms.

In addition, we find various commemorative plaques outside, such as the one we mentioned earlier in reference to Bartolomé de las Casas. The most beautiful is an elliptical marble piece surrounded by an impressive baroque moulding of curved shapes. It comes from the old convent of San Francisco, which was located in the current Plaza Nueva, and was moved to this parish after its demolition in the 19th century. It was probably originally a tombstone, as can be seen from the moving inscription, taken from a text by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux:

«NIHIL DULCIUS MIHI QUAM TECUM MURI, ET NIHIL AMARIUS QUAM VIVERE PORT MORTEM TUAM, JESU FILI MI. TU MIHI PATER, TU MIHI SPONSUS, TU MIHI FIUIUS, TU MIHI IMNIA ERAS. NUNO ORROR PATRE VIDUOR SPONSO DESOLOR PROLE, OMNIA PEDRO FILI MI, QUID ULTRA PACIAM?»

«There is nothing sweeter for me than to die with you and nothing more bitter than to live after your death. Jesus, my son. You are for me, father. You were for me, husband. You for me, son. You were everything for me. Now without my father I am an orphan. Without my husband, a widow. Without my son, alone. I lose everything, my son. What will I do from now on?»

Another plaque alludes to the royal foundation of the convent by the hand of Saint Ferdinand himself:

«Saint Ferdinand III King of Castile and Leon founded this convent of St. Paul in the year MCCXLVIII when Seville was conquered, his confessor being St. Pedro Gonzalez Thelmo first prelate of said convent and he erected this magnificent temple which was added to that of St. John Lateran in the year MCCXLVIII and that of MDCCXXIV on October XXII was consecrated by His Excellency Mr. D. Luis Salzedo y Azcona Archbishop of Seville»

A final plaque refers to the granting of extraordinary indulgences on the occasion of the consecration of the temple in 1724:

«N. SSmo. P. Benedict XIII of the Sacred Order of Preachers by his Bulla given in Rome apud S. Mariam Maiorem on the XXII day of September, Year MDCCXXIV, first of his pontificate, grants forever to all priests of said Order that by saying Mass at any of the altars of the Churches of their sacred Religion they may take from Purgatory the soul of the deceased for whom they apply it.

The pillars that delimit the transept space also represent a series of sixteen Dominican saints and blesseds: Benedict XI, Gonzalo de Amarante, Pedro Mártir, Antonino, Juan Martín de Coloma, Agustín Gaz Otto, Pío V, Alberto Magno, Jacinto, Jacobo de Meranía, Raimundo de Peñafort, Pedro González Telmo, Luis Beltrán, Enrique Susón, Vicente Ferrer and Ambrosio Sacedonio. According to Professor Enrique Valdivieso, “all of them show the characteristics of Lucas Valdés’ style.”

Lucas Valdés is also responsible for the large compositions that are arranged around the presbytery:

- “The Triumph of Faith”, in the vault above the main altar. The allegorical figure of faith appears framed by a showy frame of simulated architecture that imitates the sensation of depth. She appears escorted by Saint Michael, Saint Raphael and a whole court of angels who flutter and play musical instruments.

- “The Triumphal Entry of Saint Ferdinand into Seville”, in the upper part of the left end of the transept. The king appears accompanied by figures of the order, such as Saint Dominic himself. They participate in a procession of the Virgin of the Kings together with numerous prelates. On both sides, the allegorical figures of strength and temperance are represented. They are shown on royal shields and are accompanied by representations of bound Muslims who symbolise those defeated in the conquest. In the upper part of this same wall, two niches house two of the fathers of the Church: Saint Ambrose of Milan and Saint Gregory the Great.

- “Auto de fe”, located just opposite the previous one, at the right end of the transept. It has been identified with the trial held in 1703 in which the merchant from Osuna, Diego Duro, was condemned. Enrique Valdivieso tells us that “this painting was partially destroyed later, in the figure of the condemned man to avoid his identification, around 1750, perhaps at the request of the descendants of the convict. In this painting of the Dominican order, her merits as a defender of faith and orthodoxy are once again praised, since it is precisely Dominican religious who accompany the convict who is riding on a donkey towards the scaffold”. On both sides there are two new allegorical figures, this time representing Religion and Justice crushing heresy, both backed by shields of the Dominican order. Again, at the top of the wall, we find the other two fathers of the Church: St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Jerome of Stridon.

- The pictorial decoration of the interior of the dome is also the work of Lucas Valdés and is centred on the exaltation of the Virgin Mary. The interior of the dome is decorated with fresco paintings by Lucas Valdés. In each of the sections, a pair of angels hold a profusely decorated golden letter. Together they form the inscription AVE MARIA.

Inside the lantern, at the highest point of the entire space, a splendid golden sun appears on a dark blue background, around which can be read the Latin inscription ET CAEPISSE EST ALQUID, SED FINIS FACTA. That is to say, having started is something, but the end must be reached.

Finally, on the right wall of the church, next to the main entrance, we find one of the most interesting paintings in the church. It was made by Lucas Valdés around 1710 and represents the Battle of Lepanto. More specifically, "The Virgin of the Rosary protecting the Spanish ships in the battle of Lepanto." According to tradition, the Virgin of the Rosary interceded on behalf of the Christian troops on October 7, 1571 after the prayer of Pope Pius V, who would later establish this day as the day of the Holy Rosary.

Chapel of the Quinta Angustia

After entering the church through the main door, on the right is a large chapel that is currently the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Quinta Angustia. It is the result of the union of three previous funeral chapels, which belonged to the Medina, Rosales and Gómez de Espinosa families. Some elements of them are preserved, such as the three beautiful octagonal vaults with Mudejar latticework decoration that cover the different sections of the chapel. They were built around 1400, so they are a surviving part of the primitive Gothic Mudejar temple before the current one.

The altar of the chapel is presided over by the mystery of the Lord of the Descent, the titular of the brotherhood. It is a group with works by various authors and chronology. The Christ is the work of Pedro Roldán around 1660 and the rest of the figures were carved in his workshop by one of his disciples. The exception is the Virgin of Fifth Anguish, a contemporary work by Vicente Rodríguez Caso (1934).

In front of the mystery of the Descent, we find a masterful Infant Jesus made by the Renaissance sculptor Jerónimo Hernández around 1580. It could be considered a precursor to the famous Infant Jesus that Martínez Montañés would make for the church of the Sagrario in 1606.

By the same author, the brotherhood preserves a Resurrected Christ with proportions, quality and serenity in its anatomy that make it one of the most distinguished sculptures of the Seville Renaissance. The exact date of its commission is known: 1582.

The chapel also has an exceptional collection of paintings. It is a series of canvases painted by Valdés Leal around 1660 and which originally formed part of the main altarpiece and two side altarpieces of the church of San Benito de Calatrava, which was located in a now-disappeared convent that this order had very close to the old door of the Barqueta. The side altarpieces were composed of a single painting each, with the “Calvary” and the “Immaculate Conception”. The main altarpiece consisted of two bodies and an attic. In the centre of the first body there was a representation of “The Virgin with Saint Bernard and Saint Benedict” which has not been preserved. On the sides were located "Saint John the Baptist", "Saint Andrew", "Saint Catherine" and "Saint Sebastian". In the centre of the second body was the "Saint Michael", flanked by "Saint Anthony of Padua" and "Saint Anthony the Abbot". In the attic there was a representation of “God the Father”, which has also been lost.

All the works were in the Museo del Prado in 1991 participating in the monographic exhibition on their author.

Presbytery

The presbytery is presided over by a magnificent altarpiece designed by Pedro Duque Cornejo at the beginning of the 18th century. Sixteen metres high, it is the second largest in the city, after the cathedral. It is divided into three sections separated by Solomonic columns, which are in turn articulated horizontally into a bench, two bodies and an attic. The sculptures are all the work of Duke Cornejo himself, with the exception of those representing Mary Magdalene and Saint Paul in the central niches.

In the central niche of the first section is the patron saint of the temple, Saint Mary Magdalene, with a notable carving made by Felipe Malo de Molina in 1704. It is flanked by Saint Dominic and Saint Francis of Assisi in the side sections. In the centre of the second section we find an anonymous carving from the 17th century representing Saint Paul, who, it should be remembered, was the original patron saint of this church. On either side of the presbytery are the Dominican Popes Benedict XI and Pius V.

In the attic we find Saint Paul again, this time in a relief depicting the scene of his Conversion. On either side are two Dominican saints, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Rose of Lima.

On either side of the presbytery, beneath the two large canvases by Lucas Valdés already mentioned, there are two marble portals, framed by Solomonic columns and topped by the allegorical sculptures of Faith and Charity.

Choir

It is located at the foot of the temple, separated from the rest of the church by a small fence. The choir loft is covered by a lowered barrel vault with lunettes that supports the high choir. It is richly decorated with eight frescoes by Lucas Valdés with scenes from the Old Testament.

Above the former arches next to the high choir, there are two balcony-like spaces on which two organs are located. The one on the Gospel side is a baroque case and “of unknown author, only the case and outer pipes remain, it is not in use. The organ located on the Epistle side was built by Juan Debono in 1795, this one works”. (Ayarra Jarne, J., Organs in the province of Seville, Ministry of Culture, Center for Musical Documentation of Andalusia, [Granada], 1998, date of consultation March 13, 2019)

Chapels and altarpieces on the Gospel side (left)

Let's take a tour of the church starting at the foot of the Gospel nave in a clockwise direction.

· Chapel of the Virgin of the Rosary, located at the foot of the Gospel nave, next to the choir. It has a neoclassical altarpiece from the 19th century, presided over by a carving of a dress, the work of Cristóbal Ramos in the 18th century. It is flanked by two small baroque carvings, most likely from a previous altarpiece, which represent Saint Francis of Paula and Saint Catherine of Siena.

· Next to the Chapel of the Rosary, at the foot of the right side, there is a baroque altarpiece from the 18th century which is currently presided over by a modern image of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal. On the sides there are two carvings of holy monks who have lost some of the attributes that identified them. Given its connection with the Dominicans, it could be of Saint Thomas and Saint Dominic. In the centre of the attic, a relief represents “The Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Dominic”. The altarpiece is articulated by a series of beautiful banded Solomonic columns, very characteristic of the time in which it was built.

· Continuing along the left wall, we find a frame altarpiece that houses a canvas depicting “The Souls of Purgatory”. In it, a group of angels intercede for the souls burning in Purgatory, in the presence of the Holy Trinity, which presides over the canvas at the top. It was made around 1775 by Vicente Alanís Espinosa.

· The next altarpiece is also from the 18th century and is currently presided over by an image of the Virgin of Good Counsel, carved by Sebastián Santos Rojas around 1950. On the side streets, we find two beautiful sculptures of Saint Catherine and Saint Barbara. In the attic, a relief seems to represent the dream of the blessed Juana de Aza, mother of Saint Dominic. The scene has as its context a curious architectural frame in which depth is simulated. On both sides are two Dominican saints, probably Saint Catherine de Ricci and Saint Agnes of Montepulciano.

· Next to the altarpiece of the Virgen del Buen Consejo there is a curious painting on the wall that constitutes a trompe l'oeil or optical illusion. It was painted in 1996 and reproduces the entrance to the old cloister of the convent, which was located just in that direction, in the place that is now occupied by the Hotel Colón. The convent was being used as the headquarters of the Civil Government in Seville when it was destroyed by a fire in 1906.

· In the arms of the transept we find several altarpieces. The first of them dates from the beginning of the 18th century and is attributed to Cristóbal de Guadix. It is presided over by the so-called Nazareno de las Fatigas, an image of Jesus holding the cross carved by the sculptor Gaspar del Águila and polychromed by the painter Antonio de Arfián in 1587. It was restored by Francisco Berlanga de Ávila in 2009. The cross is the original and is made of tortoiseshell edged in silver. On the side streets, between beautiful polychrome green and gold Solomonic columns, are located San Antón Abad and San Alberto. In the centre of the attic is San Miguel killing the dragon, flanked by two Dominican saints.

· Next to the entrance to the sacristy, at the far left of the transept, there is a baroque altar with the magnificent Renaissance sculpture of the Virgin of the Fevers. It is an image of the Virgin with Child, a work by the Salamanca sculptor Juan Bautista Vázquez "the Elder" from around 1565, considered one of the most outstanding examples of sculpture from this period in the city. The name "of the Fevers" comes from the fact that women who had recently given birth prayed to her to avoid the dreaded "fever", a historical cause of great mortality. The image replaced a previous one with the same dedication that was lost during a collapse.

According to tradition, the mother of King Pedro I prayed fervently before the previous image asking for the salvation of her son, who was seriously ill at the time. When the king recovered, the mother gave the church a silver sculpture of the monarch praying before the Virgin as a token of gratitude. Apparently, the effigy of the king was removed when he lost the throne in the war with his half-brother Enrique de Trastámara.

· On the other side of the entrance to the sacristy, an altarpiece houses a sculptural group with Saint Joachim, Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary. The original composition only had Saint Anne teaching the Virgin to read and was probably created by Francisco Antonio Ruiz Gijón around 1675. The image of Saint Joachim that appears in the background is an 18th-century work by Cristóbal Ramos and comes from another altarpiece, as evidenced by the difference in size.

· The next chapel, parallel to the presbytery, is dedicated to Our Lady of the Ancient and Seven Sorrows. It is an early work by Pedro Roldán (c. 1650) that is closer to Castilian models than to those common in Seville: Mary appears kneeling at the foot of the cross and looking up to heaven. In addition, it is a full carving and not dressed, as is usually the case in the city. The image was the titular of a brotherhood that became enormously popular. It had its headquarters in the current Chapel of Montserrat and the current Cristo de la Salud of the brotherhood of Candelaria also belonged to it.

The altarpiece in which it is located is from the 18th century and was originally dedicated to Saint Paul, as shown by the two reliefs on the side streets, which show his “Decapitation” and an “Apotheosis” of the saint, in which angels raise him to Heaven.

· On the pillar that separates the chapel of the Antigua from the next one, we find a small altarpiece with a dressed image of Saint Rose of Lima, a Dominican nun born in the Viceroyalty of Peru who was the first American canonized in the history of the church.

· The next chapel, next to the presbytery, is dedicated to the Virgen del Amparo, a magnificent Renaissance sculpture made by the Flemish sculptor Roque Balduque in 1555. It is one of the most beautiful images in the church and is considered the patron saint of the neighbourhood, through whose streets it is carried in procession every second Sunday in November.

The altarpiece is a work from the beginning of the 18th century and seems to have originally housed the Cristo del Gonfalón, which we will talk about later. On the side streets are located San José with the Child and San Hermenegildo, while in the centre of the attic is represented the Annunciation, flanked by San Joaquín and Santa Ana.

Chapels and altarpieces on the Epistle side (right):

· Next to the presbytery, on the right, the first chapel is that of the Santísimo Cristo del Calvario, the headquarters of the brotherhood that has it as its patron. The Cristo is a magnificent work by Francisco de Ocampo, made in 1611 following the model of the Cristo de la Clemencia by Martínez Montañés. On both sides, the images of the Virgen de la Presentación and San Juan Evangelista, both by Juan de Astorga from the 19th century. The altarpiece is from the 18th century and has a scene in the centre of the attic with the Virgin giving the Rosary to Santo Domingo and Santa Catalina de Siena.

· On the pillar that separates this chapel from the next, there is a small altarpiece with an image of Saint Monica from the 17th century, attributed to Pedro Roldán.

· The next chapel is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, with an anonymous image of the saint from the 17th century. The altarpiece is from the 18th century and was originally dedicated to Saint Catherine of Siena, as can be read on the railing that closes the chapel. In fact, in the attic there is a relief with "The Stigmatization of Saint Catherine".

· At the right end of the transept there are two altarpieces, on either side of a box leading to the church that is always closed. The first is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen, with a beautiful anonymous dressed image from the 18th century. The one on the right is dedicated to Saint Joseph, with a splendid carving attributed to Juan Martínez Montañés and dated around 1610. Traditionally there have been doubts about its authorship, but after the last great exhibition on the master, his authorship was established due to its similarity to another Saint Joseph that is preserved in the convent of Las Teresas and because of how similar the Child is to the one carried by Saint Christopher in the church of El Salvador.

· On the corner next to the altarpiece of San José, we find an altarpiece from the 18th century that is currently presided over by a modern image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is accompanied in the side naves by Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, original to the altarpiece. In the attic we find a Saint Thomas praying on his knees.

· Continuing along the right wall, next to the Sacramental Chapel, there is an altarpiece presided over by the relief of the Assumption of the Virgin, a work by Juan de Mesa from 1619. Despite some doubts expressed about its authorship, the contract in which the artist was commissioned has been preserved, where it is specified that four angels “are taking her up to heaven, with a throne of seraphim at her feet and her clouds around (…) with two more children as a finishing touch; more in half relief and the children in circles”. In the attic, another relief shows the Coronation of the Virgin.

· Halfway along the Epistle wall is the sacramental chapel, a rectangular space located next to the main entrance to the church. Right in front of the entrance, a display case houses a splendid silver processional monstrance measuring more than two metres in height. It was made in different phases between the end of the 17th century. “It is the work of three 17th century silversmiths, but following the design of the one who started it, Diego de León, in 1678. It was continued in 1679 by the silversmith Cristóbal Sánchez de la Rosa, and finished by Juan Laureano de Pina in 1692.” (Archbishopric of Seville)

The altarpiece is in neoclassical style, made in 1817. It houses in its central niche an Immaculate Conception from the 18th century attributed to Benito Hita del Castillo, which is carried in procession on Corpus Christi day accompanying the Custodia together with the Infant Jesus by Jerónimo Hernández. On the side streets of the altarpiece we find the carvings of San Miguel and San Rafael, made by Duque Cornejo also in the 18th century. In the attic, a painting from the time of the altarpiece represents the Holy Trinity.

The Chapel houses the tomb of Francisco Arias de Saavedra, minister of Charles III, and two canvases by Zurbarán from around 1626. The first shows the "Miraculous Healing of Blessed Reginald of Orleans" and the second "Saint Dominic in Soriano". Odile Delenda, in her catalogue of Zurbarán's work, describes it thus:

"The miraculous delivery of the true portrait of Saint Dominic to the Monastery of Soriano is a popular theme of the Counter-Reformation, which was a considerable success throughout Catholic Europe in the 17th century. Each religious Order wanted to represent its saints with their 'true effigies'. A Dominican friar from the Convent of Soriano in Calabria, very devoted to the founder, wanted to know what his true features would be like. In the year 1530, while praying, the Virgin appeared to him, together with Saints Catherine and Magdalene who offered him a portrait of Saint Dominic. This miraculous portrait shows him standing, frontally, carrying the lily and a book of his rule. The supposed portrait is preserved in the Church of San Romano in Lucca and many copies and engravings circulated in the convents of the Order.

· On the same right wall, on the other side of the main entrance to the church, we find a baroque canopy frame that houses an 18th century relief with “The Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Cajetan”.

· Next, moving towards the feet, there is an altarpiece also from the 18th century, currently presided over by the image of Saint Rita of Casia, of great devotion in the Catholic world as an intercessor in difficult causes. On the side streets are located Saint John of Nepomuk and Saint Albert, while in the attic, a relief represents the “Liberation of Saint Peter”, flanked by two Dominican saints.

· At the foot of the Epistle nave is the Baptismal Chapel, which preserves the font in which Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was baptized on January 1, 1618, as recalled by a marble plaque on one of the walls. The chapel is now presided over by an interesting 16th-century crucifix known as Christ of Confalón or Gonfalón. It has rather archaic features that bring it closer to Gothic sculpture and transmit a moving pathos.

Originally it was the title of a brotherhood that was dedicated to works of mercy, following the example of a brotherhood with the same dedication based in Rome. The image has been attributed to Nicolás de León, since in the church of La Victoria in Écija there is a very similar crucifix by this author that also has the same dedication, and is currently one of the most prominent images of Astigitan Holy Week.

The crucified Christ is accompanied by a Dolorosa and a Saint John, forming a Calvary. They are of a similar chronology to Christ and could be works by the same author.

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