CHURCH OF SAINT SEBATIAN

The church of San Sebastián is a Gothic-Mudejar temple originally built between the 15th and 16th centuries as a hermitage on the outskirts of the city. It has undergone profound transformations throughout its history, especially during the 19th and 20th centuries, in relation to the appearance of the Porvenir neighbourhood around it. It has a rectangular floor plan divided into three naves by pointed arches. The area of the presbytery and the sacramental chapel stand out from the floor plan, at the head of the Epistle nave. The church is the headquarters of the Hermandad de la Paz, which processes on Palm Sunday.

History

The origin of the church is a hermitage that was built on this site at the end of the Middle Ages in honour of San Sebastián, a saint who was asked for intercession in the event of epidemics. In the 19th century, the first cemetery outside the city walls was built near the hermitage. It should be remembered that for most of our history, burials took place in churches or in their surrounding areas, with the consequent health problems that this practice entailed. There are two drawings by the English traveller Richard Ford made in 1831 in which the cemetery and the primitive hermitage appear. The cemetery of San Sebastián lost importance after the construction of the municipal cemetery of San Fernando in 1852 and ten years later its demolition would begin, as recalled by an inscription at the foot of a cross that is currently located in front of the church as a commemorative monument. After the cemetery disappeared, a reform of the old hermitage was undertaken. It was probably at this time, in the mid-19th century, when the current presbytery was added, since it is known that there was originally a Gothic style one and the current one is covered by a hemispherical dome in the Baroque style.

From the beginning of the 20th century, with the preparations for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, the creation of the Porvenir neighbourhood in the area of the old hermitage was accelerated, with the result that the temple was reformed several times, as it gained importance as an auxiliary to the parish of San Bernardo.

In 1939 the Hermandad de la Paz was founded with headquarters in this church, which entailed new reforms, such as the opening of the south doorway for the exit of the floats or the construction of the brotherhood house, built under the direction of Rafael Arévalo y Carrasco in 1941. In 1956 the church was definitively established as a parish and has come down to our days consolidated as the centre of religious life in the neighbourhood.

Outside

On the outside, the church is surrounded by annex buildings, with only the south and east façades remaining free. On the south side, the buttresses supporting the walls can be seen and it has a simple doorway in the area closest to the head. It was opened in 1940 to allow passage through and is made up of a simple semicircular arch framed by a moulding of exposed brick. To the right of the door is a beautiful ceramic altarpiece with the Christ of Victory, made by Alfonso Magüesín de la Rosa in 1989. In the background there is a landscape in which the silhouette of the Plaza de España can be distinguished. The ceramic altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin is very close, next to the entrance to the fenced area around the church. It was made by Antonio Morilla Galea in 1977 and it highlights the beautiful contrast between the whiteness of the figure of the Virgin and the black background.

The main façade is the one facing east, at the foot of the church. In its centre we find a magnificent Mudejar doorway, probably built in the 15th century. It is formed by a pointed arch, framed by a structure that stands out from the rest of the façade, built from rows of bricks in alternating colours. It is very beautiful despite its simplicity and is clearly related to other similar doors that we find in Seville, such as that of the church of the convent of Santa Paula or that of the chapel of Santa María de Jesús. Above the door we find the coat of arms of the Cathedral, the Giralda between two jars of lilies, a symbol of the patronage of the cathedral chapter. This emblem does not appear in Richard Ford's drawing of 1831, so it must have been added later.

At the top of the façade there are three oculi, one in the centre and two on the sides, which serve to illuminate each of the naves. On the left stands a simple bell gable, with a single bell and topped with a curved pediment.

Interior

Inside, the space is divided into three naves, with the central one wider and higher than the side ones. Large pointed arches resting on cruciform pillars separate the naves. Another large pointed arch separates the central nave from the presbytery, like a triumphal arch. Most of the walls are plastered in white, with the area of the pillars imitating ashlar and leaving the brickwork on the arches exposed. A 20th-century tiled plinth with geometric shapes runs throughout the interior. The roof is covered by wooden coffered ceilings in the neo-Mudejar style, with a pair and knuckle in the central nave and hanging in the side ones.

From the rectangular space formed by the naves, three spaces stand out at the head. The presbytery is located in the centre, the sacristy at the head of the right nave and the chapel occupied by the Brotherhood of Peace at the head of the Gospel nave.

The presbytery is a quadrangular space covered by a hemispherical dome on pendentives that is not visible from the outside of the temple. In all probability, it was originally covered by a pointed vault, as occurs in most of the Gothic-Mudejar churches in the city. The current dome must have been built during the reforms undertaken in the 19th century. The walls are decorated with contemporary paintings with geometric motifs, plants, fake architecture and angels. The pendentives follow the tradition of serving as a support to accommodate the Evangelists, who are represented by their symbols.

The altarpiece is in neo-baroque style, made in the 20th century. It is divided into three sections and two horizontal bodies. In the main niche we find a magnificent sculpture of the Virgin and Child, known as the Virgin of the Meadow. It was made by Jerónimo Hernández around 1577 and is an outstanding example of Renaissance sculpture in the city. The Child Jesus appears blessing with a sweet gesture while the Virgin holds a pear in her right hand. It should be remembered that this image acted as patron and protector of market gardeners and country people in this area of Seville.

On the side streets are the sculptures of San Pedro and San Roque. In the centre of the second body is San Sebastián, the patron saint of the temple, flanked by San Jacinto and Santo Domingo de Guzmán. All the sculptures seem to be original from the 18th century, although they were probably re-painted later.

Other sculptures and paintings are displayed on the walls of the naves. One of the most notable is a carving of the Immaculate Conception from the 18th century, which presides over a stucco altarpiece in neoclassical style. There are also some carvings from the 20th century, such as the Sacred Heart, which presides over a neo-Baroque altarpiece. Among the paintings, we find several copies of originals by Murillo and some other Baroque paintings, such as the "Martyrdom of Saint Lucy" (Francisco Varela, c. 1637), the "Annunciation" or the "Marriage of the Virgin". From the same period there are representations of various saints, such as Saint Lawrence, Saint Agnes or Saint Sebastian, and an interesting "Virgin of Guadalupe", a copy of the Mexican original made by Antonio Torres in 1740.

As we said, at the head of the left nave is the sacramental chapel, where the titular images of the Hermandad de la Paz are worshipped. The chapel is covered by a groin vault with a lantern in the centre and presided over by a neo-baroque altarpiece. In the centre we find Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Victoria, a sculpture made by Antonio Illanes Rodríguez in 1940. It forms part of a float in which Jesus is seen taking the cross to carry it on the way to Calvary, although when it is in its chapel the image is logically shown without the cross. On the left is the image of María Santísima de la Paz, made in 1939 also by Antonio Illanes, who is said to have been inspired for the face of the image by the facial features of his wife, Isabel Salcedo. When it comes to the procession, the image stands out for the white and silver tones of its float, both in the canopy and in the figure of the Virgin herself. This whiteness is a clear sign of the devotion to Peace and creates a very unique and iconic image during Holy Week in Seville. The same artist also made the sculpture of Saint John that occupies the niche on the right of the altarpiece.

CHURCH OF SAINT JULIAN

by Manuel Hellín

The church of San Julián is a Gothic-Mudejar temple, built mostly in the 14th century, although with important subsequent modifications. It is the headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta, which takes part in the procession on Palm Sunday.

It has a rectangular floor plan and three naves, separated by pointed arches resting on pillars. The polygonal head, where the presbytery is located, stands out from the floor plan.

As it has survived to this day, the church is the result of a reconstruction carried out in the mid-20th century, as it was almost completely destroyed in a deliberate fire in 1932. At the end of that same century, the temple was completely restored to replace its roofs, which were in a ruinous state.

History

The church is one of the parish churches of the group of Gothic-Mudejar churches in Seville, built mainly in the northern area of the historic centre between the 13th and 15th centuries. They all share a very similar structure and style and form a typological ensemble of extraordinary interest and beauty.

In the case of San Julián, it is known that it was built in the first half of the 14th century, dedicated to this saint who suffered martyrdom at the beginning of the 4th century together with his wife Basilisca, probably in Antinóopolis (Egypt).

The temple has undergone important modifications throughout its history. In the 17th century, the bell tower and the chapel on the left side occupied by the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta were added. The most complicated moments occurred in April 1932, when the church suffered an intentional fire that almost completely destroyed it. All its roofs and most of its movable heritage were lost, including the titular images of the Brotherhood. In 1989 it had to be closed again until 1994, given the poor condition of its roofs.

Outside

San Julián has two exterior doors, one at the foot and another on the left side, although the second is unfinished and has survived to this day flanked by a brick structure that was to serve as support for a door that was never built. The main door is at the foot and has the classic ogival, flared shape, framed by an alfiz that stands out from the rest of the façade. It has very simple and somewhat rough sculptural decoration, although the high degree of erosion of the stone makes it difficult to assess its original appearance. The arch is decorated on the outside by a moulding with zigzag motifs and another with diamond points. The capitals of the small columns on both sides have plant decoration of vine leaves, which continues outwards under the impost line. Around the entrance arch there are three small sculptures under Gothic canopies. According to art historian Rafael Cómez, the one at the top represents Christ as a judge, the one on the left represents Saint Julian the Bishop and the one on the right represents Saint Julian the Hospitaller. Confusions between saints have been common throughout history and elements of different saints have often been attributed to others with the same name or their characteristics have been different depending on the territory. (Rafael Cómez Ramos, "Iconología de la arquitectura religiosa bajomedieval en Sevilla: la iglesia de San Julián").

At the top there are a series of modillions decorated with lion heads, between which there are a series of horseshoe arches engraved in the stone. The lions symbolised, among other things, royal authority, and we find them in other Sevillian doorways from the same period, such as in San Esteban or in Santa Ana de Triana.

Above the doorway there are three oculi with diamond-shaped moulding, one larger at the top and two, somewhat smaller, one on each side.

The decoration of this façade is completed by two ceramic altarpieces dedicated to the titulars of the Hermandad de la Hiniesta, which are located on both sides of the doorway. On the left is the one of the Virgin, made by Antonio Kierman Flores in the Santa Ana factory in 1962. On the right we find the Christ of the Good Death and it was made in 1994 by Emilio Sánchez Palacios in his family workshop, Cerámica Macarena.

On the right-hand side, facing Duque Cornejo Street, we find another ceramic altarpiece with the same authorship and date as that of Christ. On this occasion it is dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, the titular of her own brotherhood, also based in this temple.

From this same side, the bell tower that stands next to the head of the church is visible. It has a square floor plan, with the body of the bells decorated by simple pilasters, and is topped by a hexagonal spire with ceramic decoration in white and blue.

Inside

The interior of the temple today is the result of the reconstructions that had to be carried out during the 20th century, although an attempt was made to recreate the original appearance as far as possible. The naves are covered by 20th century wooden coffered ceilings in the neo-Mudejar style, while the apse is covered by a ribbed vault that follows the Gothic model. This difference in the type of covering between the naves and the presbytery is very common in the Gothic-Mudejar churches of Seville. The walls are covered by tiled plinths with geometric motifs, also following models that come from the Middle Ages.

In the area of the presbytery, the current altarpiece is the result of a reconstruction from fragments of altarpieces from the 17th and 18th centuries. This is because the previous one was lost in the fire of 1932. In the central niche, the image of Our Lady of the Glorious Hiniesta is worshipped, an image made in 1945 by Antonio Castillo Lastrucci to replace the original Gothic one, also destroyed in the fire. This devotion to the Hiniesta has a very interesting origin and is deeply rooted in the city, to the point that it is officially the patron saint of the City Council of Seville. Professor Francisco S. Ros González tells the legend thus:

…the Catalan knight, Father Per de Tous, was hunting in the mountains of his land one day at the end of the 14th century when his goshawk became paralysed in front of the gorse bushes where the partridges he was pursuing had taken refuge. Surprised by the bird’s behaviour, the knight dismounted from his horse, looked into the undergrowth and discovered an image of the Virgin with the Child in her arms with an inscription at her feet that, in the Latin version by Ortiz de Zúñiga, read: «Sum Hispalis de sacello ad portam quæ ducit ad Corduvam» («I am from Seville, from a chapel next to the gate that leads to Córdoba»). From the text it was deduced that the image was one of those that had been hidden during the Muslim invasion to prevent its desecration and that it had miraculously been preserved intact through the centuries despite being out in the open. Per de Tous took the image to Seville and placed it in the parish church of San Julián, as it was the temple closest to the door in the city walls leading to Córdoba at that time. The fact that the image of the Virgin was found hidden in some broom bushes led to it being called Santa María de la Hiniesta.

(Francisco S. Ros Gonzáles, “La Virgen de la Hiniesta de Sevilla y el movimiento concepcionista”. Universidad de Sevilla, 2005)

On either side we find two anonymous paintings from the 18th century, the one on the left with the Immaculate Conception and the one on the right with Saint Beatrice de Silva, founder of the Order of the Immaculate Conception. Above the paintings, two niches contain small carvings. The one on the left represents Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, while the one on the right could be Saint Therese of Lisieux. Above the central niche, in the upper part of the altarpiece, we find another anonymous painting from the 18th century with Saint Francis Solano. Above it, a small relief with the Immaculate Conception (17th century).

Also in the area of the presbytery, two curious lampstands from around 1672 stand out. Fortunately they were saved from the fire of 1932 and from them hangs a splendid collection of eight silver lamps from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Left Nave

If we begin to describe the walls of the church at the foot of the left nave, the first thing we find is a carving of Saint Joseph with the Child, an anonymous work from the 18th century. Nearby is a ceramic panel in blue tones with the representation of the Baptism of Christ. It is a recreation of the exceptional canvas with the same theme that Murillo painted for the chapel of San Antonio in the cathedral of Seville. The ceramic altarpiece was made by Rafael Cantanero Mesón at the Mensaque Factory in Triana around 1920.

Continuing towards the apse we find a curious altarpiece - pedestal in neo-baroque style, formed by plant motifs. It houses a beautiful carving of Saint Angela of the Cross, a contemporary work by Ricardo Rivera.

The next altarpiece is also contemporary and is made of gilded plaster. It houses an image of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal, made by Castillo Lastrucci around 1945.

Continuing towards the head, the next altarpiece is also modern and very sober, but it houses one of the great artistic jewels of this temple. It is a carving of the Immaculate Conception, made in the first third of the 17th century and attributed to Alonso Cano. It has notable similarities with works by Martínez Montañés and, in fact, it has sometimes been attributed to him, given its resemblance to sculptures such as the famous "Cieguita" of the cathedral of Seville. Alonso Cano was training with the master Montañés and it is normal that he reproduced his models.

Finally, at the head of the Gospel nave we find a neo-Gothic altarpiece with the dressed image of the Virgin of the Rosary. The image is the title of its own brotherhood of glory and was made in 1937 by José Rodríguez Fernández-Andes.

Right Nave

At the head of the right nave is the sacramental chapel, where the image of Our Lady of the Sorrowful Hiniesta, the titular of the Brotherhood of the Hiniesta, is worshipped. It is the third image with this purpose that the Brotherhood has. The first was a baroque Virgin of the Sorrowful from the 17th century, attributed to Martínez Montañés, which was lost in the fire of 1932. To replace it, Castillo Lastrucci made a new Virgin of the Hiniesta, which was destroyed in the fire of San Marcos in 1936, since at that time the Brotherhood was based in this parish. The current one was also made by Castillo in 1937 to replace the missing sculpture that he himself had made.

Next to the sacramental chapel, on the epistle wall, a simple arcosolium houses the Most Holy Christ of the Good Death, also the titular of the Hiniesta. It is an imposing crucified figure of 1.76 m. Also made by Castillo Lastrucci in 1938, replacing the original by Felipe de Ribas that disappeared in the fire.

Continuing a little towards the feet, on a pedestal is the sculpture of the Magdalene that Castillo made in 1944 and that accompanies Christ in his procession.

This sculptor so closely linked to the Brotherhood is buried precisely in this church. We find his funerary monument in this same nave of the Epistle. Above it is the sculptural group of the Pietà, which the sculptor made in 1949. On the plaque at the foot of the tomb you can read “Here beneath his most beloved images rests the most illustrious Mr. Antonio Castillo Lastrucci 1882-1967”.

CAPILLA DEL MAYOR DOLOR (VIRGIN OF THE GREATEST PAIN)

by Manuel Hellín

The chapel of the Mayor Dolor is a small 18th century temple located in the Plaza de Molviedro, which is why it is sometimes known as the Molviedro chapel. Today it is the headquarters of the Hermandad de Jesús Despojado, which processes on Palm Sunday.

The area where the chapel is located was known since the Middle Ages as the Laguna or Compás de la Laguna, since it was an unbuilt area within the walled enclosure in which an extension of water of this type was formed. It was also the area where the brothel was historically located, very close to the port, as is usual. This brothel was separated from the rest of the city by a wall, so the area of the Compás was wedged between the city wall and this wall.

Very close to the current chapel there was a more modest hermitage, where a brotherhood dedicated to the Holy Cross and Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow was based. The wrought iron cross on a marble column that is now in the square recalls the location of this primitive hermitage.

The chapel that has survived to this day was built in the second half of the 18th century, within the framework of the general urbanisation that took place in this area of the city. Manuel Prudencio de Molviedro, a merchant from Viana settled in Seville, took over a large part of the neighbourhood and began its redevelopment during the mandate of Pablo de Olavide (1767-1776). Within this transformation, Manuel Prudencio promoted and financed the construction of the chapel, which would be consecrated in 1779. Since 1856 the old Plaza del Compás de la Laguna was renamed Plaza de Molviedro in honour of this Navarrese benefactor.

In 1956, the chapel was ceded to the Congregation of the Claretians, who in turn ceded it to the Brotherhood of Jesús Despojado in 1982.

Outside

The chapel has a rectangular floor plan with a single nave. It only has one façade on the outside, the one at the foot, which opens onto the square. It is very simple in composition. A large lintelled opening, framed by pilasters and covered by a split triangular pediment. In the centre of the pediment there is a second body, this time topped by a curved pediment, framing a window. In the upper part of the façade there is a simple but elegant belfry, with a single bell and also topped by a curved pediment. On both sides of the façade there are ceramic altarpieces dedicated to Jesús Despojado and to the Virgen de los Dolores y Misericordia, the titulars of the brotherhood that has its headquarters in the chapel. They were made in 2007 in the ceramic workshop of José Jaén in Mairena del Alcor.

Inside

The interior is divided into two sections by pillars: the presbytery and the nave itself, each covered by vaulted ceilings. The altarpiece is the original Baroque from the second half of the 18th century. Today it is presided over by the image of Jesus Stripped of his Garments, carved by Antonio Perea Sánchez in 1939.

It happens that it was made in the provincial prison of Seville, since the sculptor was in prison, accused of having helped the resistance when Franco's troops took Seville in 1936. The sculpture was reworked in 1974 by Antonio Eslava Rubio, who completely remade the body, keeping the head.

In the niche on the left, the image of the Virgin of Sorrows and Mercy is worshipped, made in 1962 also by Eslava Rubio. To the right is the image of Saint John the Evangelist made by Juan González Ventura in 1981. This carving accompanies that of the Virgin on her palanquin during her processional exit every Palm Sunday.

In the centre of the second body of the altarpiece there is a sculptural group with Saint Anne teaching the young Virgin to read. To the right is Saint Basilisca (identified by José Gestoso as Saint Gertrude) and to the left we find Saint Michael. All of them are anonymous carvings made in the 18th century, forming part of the original sculptural decoration of the altarpiece.

The image that presides over the small altarpiece located on the right wall of the nave is from the same century. It is Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow, the titular image of the temple. It is also an anonymous sculpture that represents the Virgin kneeling at the foot of the Cross.

On the walls, the images of Saint Joseph with the Child, Saint Ferdinand and Saint Genoveva Torres are worshipped, as well as two canvases with copies by Murillo, one with the "Holy Family" and another with "Saint Anthony and the Child".

CHAPEL OF LA CARRETERÍA

by Manuel Hellín

The Carretería chapel is a small 18th-century temple located in the Arenal district of Seville. It is one of the smallest chapels in Seville, with less than 100 square meters. As its name indicates, it is the headquarters of the Carretería brotherhood, which processes on the afternoon of Good Friday.

The location of the temple responds to a miraculous event that tradition points to in this place. Apparently, in the mid-16th century, a member of the barrel guild found an image of the Virgin hidden behind a wall in this area. The image gave off a very bright light, which is why it received the invocation of Our Lady of Light. After this event, it was decided to found the brotherhood, whose germ would be the aforementioned barrel guild (1550).

The current chapel was built between 1753 and 1761 based on the plans of Juan Núñez. It has a single nave, covered by a groin vault, except in the presbytery, where the vault is groined. At the end of the 20th century, a new chapel was added to the right to house the image of the Virgin of the Greatest Sorrow in her Solitude.

The façade is neoclassical and very simple. Two pillars frame the entrance and support a split pediment, in the centre of which there is a niche, topped by a triangular pediment. In the centre of the upper part there is a single-bay belfry with the bell.

Inside the chapel, the members of the Carretería brotherhood receive worship. The Cristo de la Salud is an extraordinary carving by an anonymous author that has been dated to the beginning of the 17th century. Although no documentation has been preserved, based on its style, Francisco de Ocampo has been pointed out as its possible author. The Virgin of Light and Saint John are the accompaniers, works from the workshop of Pedro Roldán from around 1677.

In the side chapel there is the image of Our Lady of the Greatest Sorrow in her Solitude. Originally, it was the image of Mary that accompanied the Crucified Christ in the procession of mystery, although since 1885 it has been carried in its own procession of pallium. It is attributed to Alonso Álvarez Albarrán and has been dated to 1629.

We also find a dressed image of the Virgin with the Child, with the invocation of Our Lady of Light (of glory), which it shares with the aforementioned. Traditionally it has been identified with the image that miraculously appeared in this place around 1550. However, a stylistic analysis makes it clear that the image was made in the second half of the 18th century. It is possible that the current image was made from the remains of the original or that, for some reason and at some time that we do not know, it was decided to replace it.

CHAPEL OF LA PIEDAD DEL BARATILLO

by Manuel Hellín

The chapel of La Piedad del Baratillo is a small baroque-style temple located in the Arenal district of Seville. It is the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Baratillo, which takes part in a procession on Holy Wednesday afternoon with two floats (pasos), La Piedad and the Virgen de la Caridad.

Since the mid-17th century, in the place where the chapel is today, there was a small mound on which an iron cross was raised. In that same place, some of the victims of the 1649 epidemic had been buried, which in Seville killed more than half of the population. Around 60,000 people died of "plague" in the city that year.

The Baratillo Cross was awakening an ever-increasing devotion and in 1693 a brotherhood was founded around it and the construction of a chapel was decided.

Its works were completed in 1696 under the direction of Bernardo Bustamante, although in the mid-eighteenth century an extension was carried out directed by Marcos Sancho.

The chapel has a Latin cross plan, with the transept slightly raised, and a single nave. This is covered with a barrel vault and above the presbytery there is an octagonal dome on pendentives. On the outside, the dome is crowned by a metal cross, which is traditionally considered to be the primitive one that was raised on the Baratillo hill in the seventeenth century.

The exterior façade is very simple. It has a doorway with two bodies. In the lower one, the entrance opening is framed under a split pediment, in the centre of which there is a second body, smaller in size. It is flanked by pillars that support a triangular pediment and in its centre there is a contemporary stained glass window, donated to the brotherhood by the Austrian pavilion after Expo 92. The façade is topped by a bell gable under a curved pediment and with a single opening that houses the bell.

Inside are the titular images of the Brotherhood of Baratillo. In the main altarpiece, original from the late 17th century, the Virgin of Mercy is worshipped, a work by Manuel José Rodríguez Fernández-Andes from 1945. In her lap is the Christ of Mercy, made by the sculptor of San Roque Luis Ortega Bru in 1951. In an altarpiece on the right side is the image of the Virgin of Charity in her Solitude, made by the same sculptor as the Piedad, Rodríguez Fernández Andes, in 1931.

In an altarpiece on the left side is the carving of Saint Joseph with the Child, which is also the titular image of the brotherhood. It has been dated to the second half of the 18th century and, although it is an anonymous author, some authors attribute it to José Montes de Oca. It was donated in 1794 by the bullfighter Pepe Hillo. The brotherhood has historically been closely linked to the world of bullfighting, with many bullfighters linked to it, "either as brothers or out of deep devotion." It should be remembered that the temple is located just a few meters from the Maestranza bullring.

ROSARY CHAPEL – HERMANDAD DE LAS AGUAS

by Manuel Hellín

The original chapel was built at the end of the 17th century. In the following century, part of the Maestranza de Artillería buildings were built around it. When these buildings were demolished to make way for the current theatre, the structure of the chapel was compromised, so the aforementioned reconstruction was necessary, respecting its original appearance.

This project was directed by the architects Luis Marín and Aurelio del Pozo, the same ones who designed the Maestranza theatre. In addition to rebuilding the temple itself, the brotherhood house and tower were built next to it.

The chapel is made up of a single nave with a Latin cross plan, although with the arms barely prominent. The central space is covered by a dome on pendentives, hemispherical on the inside and octagonal on the outside.

Its main façade is very simple, with a large entrance under a basket-shaped arch that allows the "pasos" to leave and collect. It is protected by a simple eaves. At the top there is a two-span bell gable that houses the bells.

The style of the tower added in 1990 is completely different. It is a simple prism, with three square windows on two sides. At the top, the terrace is surrounded by a battlement in the style of a defensive tower.

CHURCH OF THE MAGDALENE

by Manuel Hellín

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.

CHURCH OF SAN ESTEBAN

by Manuel Hellín

DESCRIPTION

It is a temple with three naves of irregular size, since the central one is larger than the lateral ones and among the lateral ones, the one on the right is narrower than the one on the left. It has a rectangular plan from which the deep irregular head that houses the presbytery stands out. Also standing out from the floor plan are the chapel of Christ of Health and Good Voyage, on the right side wall, and the sacramental chapel, next to the left nave.

Exterior

Outside, the church with two doors. The main one opens at the foot of the church towards Medinaceli Street and is a beautiful example of Sevillian Mudejar Gothic doorways. It dates back to the early 15th century and is considered one of the highest quality in this group. The opening is a flared pointed arch, with an archivolt formed by eight arches of decreasing size. On the fascias you can admire a delicate plant decoration, in which fig and vine leaves seem to be distinguished. The outer limit of the archivolt is decorated with the classic diamond points, also a very characteristic element of Sevillian Gothic.

Above the door is a beautiful frieze formed by a series of columns that support an archway decorated with the traditional sebka, of such deep tradition in the city at least since Almohad times. A little higher, sixteen corbels in the shape of a lion's head support the upper cornice.

On both sides of the façade, above the impost line, there are two small columns with capitals decorated again with lion heads. On the one on the right we find San Lorenzo, holding the grill symbol of his martyrdom. To the left is Saint Stephen, the titular saint of the temple, dressed in his deacon's dalmatic. Finally, on the top of the arch is a representation of Christ as Savior. The three small sculptures are arranged under canopies, an extremely common element in Gothic architecture.

On the left side, towards San Esteban Street, a second doorway opens, very similar in its structure to the previous one, but simpler in its decoration. Above the top of the archivolt there is a niche in which we find again the saint to whom the church is dedicated, this time in a sculpture dated by an inscription in 1618, being, therefore, much later than the door itself.

A characteristic of this cover that is well known in the Sevillian brotherhood world is that the diamond points decorate the archivolt not only on the outside but also on the inside. This circumstance makes it difficult and adds excitement to the exit from the canopy passage of the Virgen de los Desamparados every Holy Tuesday.

Also on the outside, the robust apse at the head of the temple stands out. It is supported by six enormous buttresses between which elongated Gothic windows open. At the top it is crowned by stepped battlements, very common in Seville since the Middle Ages.

Next to the apse is the bell tower, a simple square structure added in the 18th century. The last body has neoclassical decoration, with pilasters framing the semicircular openings that house the bells. The set is completed by a hexagonal spire decorated with blue and white tiles.

Inside

Once inside the temple, the first thing that catches your attention is that the walls lack any type of plastering or coating, so the brick, which was the basic material in the construction of the church, is visible everywhere.

The naves are divided by graceful pointed arches supported by cruciform pillars. In the central nave they support an interesting three-panel Mudejar coffered ceiling, probably from the 15th century. On the other hand, the side naves are covered with hanging vaults.

The presbytery area is unique as it is covered with a stone vault with Gothic ribs. This differentiation of covering systems was very common in the churches of the time and even in those of later centuries.

At the foot of the church, above the entrance gate, there is a high choir made up of a structure made entirely of wood.

Main Altarpiece

It is a baroque altarpiece commissioned from Luis de Figueroa in 1629. It has two sections and an attic, divided into three streets. It has the particularity that it is completely decorated with paintings and not with sculptures, as is usually the case in Seville.

The paintings on the central street are attributed to the brothers Miguel and Francisco Polanco. From bottom to top we find: “The stoning of the protomartyr Saint Stephen”, “The adoration of the shepherds” and a “Crucified Christ”.

The paintings in the side streets are by Francisco de Zurbarán, an Extremaduran painter who developed his career in Seville and who is one of the greatest exponents of baroque painting in Spain. On the left street, from bottom to top, are San Pedro, San Hermenegildo and La Dolorosa. On the street on the right, San Pablo, San Fernando and San Juan Evangelista.

On the bench there are two other paintings, smaller in size, whose authorship is not clear. On the left is “The Vision of the Impure Animals of Saint Peter” and on the right “The Conversion of Saint Paul.”

In the presbytery area, the altar can also be highlighted, since its front part is decorated with Mudejar tiling that was found in the church. It presents geometric decoration with the classic “sebka” as a motif.

Taking a tour of the rest of the church, from an artistic point of view, the following elements can be highlighted:

On the right or Epistle wall:

- At the foot there is a small altarpiece dedicated to “Saint Anne teaching the Virgin to read”, an anonymous group from the 19th century. In the attic there is a small dressable image of the Virgin of Carmen.

- Nearby is a 17th century painting reproducing the Virgin of Antigua, an original from the 14th century that is preserved in the Cathedral. This type of paintings, made at different times, are frequently found in Sevillian churches, a reflection of the great popular devotion that the Virgin of Antigua always aroused in the city.

- Altarpiece of the Virgin of the Forsaken, a beautiful painful dress made in 1923 by Manuel Galiano, who is head of the Brotherhood of San Esteban. The altarpiece is in the neo-baroque style and was unveiled in 2022, carved by Pedro Benítez Carrión and gilded by Enrique Castellanos.

- Chapel of Christ of Health and Good Voyage, located at the head of the Epistle nave. It is a small chapel with a square floor plan, covered by a groin vault. A small altarpiece houses the image of Christ, which has been worshiped in this place since at least the 18th century. The Lord appears seated with the characteristic attributes of an Ecce Homo: crown of thorns, purple mantle and reed as a royal scepter. The work is composed of an original bust in baked clay from the 16th century, to which the body in polychrome wood was added in the 18th century.

On the outside of the chapel a small window opens, so that Christ can be seen from the street, a circumstance that is related to the dedication of Christ. It must be taken into account that the church is located next to the axis of Águilas and San Esteban streets, which was the most direct way to leave the city heading east, to eastern Andalusia. Apparently, it was common for travelers to stop for a few moments to pray before Christ, requesting his protection during their travels. This is why “Health and Good Voyage” was thought of when the dedication of the image was decided, when the brotherhood of San Esteban was founded around it in 1926.

In the Gospel nave (left):

- In the head of the left nave is the neo-baroque altarpiece with the image of Our Lady of Light, an anonymous dress carving from the 18th century, which is the owner of its own brotherhood. In the side streets are San Lorenzo and San Esteban, while in the attic we find “Saint Michael killing the dragon”.

- Sacramental chapel, located next to the left or Gospel nave. It is accessed through a door guarded by a wooden grill from the second half of the 17th century. This type of bars were quite common, but their conservation is obviously much more problematic than in the case of metal ones. The entrance is framed by a neo-baroque doorway, with a niche above the opening in which is located a canvas representing San Pedro de Ribera, born in the parish of this parish. It was made by the Sevillian painter Alfonso Grosso around 1960.

Inside, the chapel has a square floor plan and is covered by a lowered dome, set on pendentives. The exuberant pictorial and plasterwork decoration stands out, similar in style to those that can be found in Santa María la Blanca, which is why its authorship has been linked to the Borja brothers. Also very striking is the splendid tiled plinth, dating from the 18th century and on which some curious geometric motifs are arranged. It is a quite notable specimen in the context of Sevillian tile work.

The altarpiece of the chapel houses an Immaculate Conception in its central niche, while we can find Saint Joseph and Saint John the Baptist on the sides. The altarpiece and carvings are also from the 17th century.

On one side of the chapel there is a small polychrome wooden sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Apparently it is a work from the youth of Sebastián Santos Rojas, one of the most notable image makers of the 20th century in Seville.

- On the wall next to the access to the chapel you can see a canvas with “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist”, it is from the 17th century and by an anonymous author, although its possible Italian origin has been noted.

- Finally, at the foot of the nave, there is a Rococo altarpiece from around 1780 dedicated to Saint Joseph, who is represented with the Child in the central niche. He is accompanied by Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Bartholomew in the side streets, and Saint Blaise in the attic.

CONVENT OF SAN LEANDRO

by Manuel Hellín

The convent of San Leandro is a convent of Augustinian nuns that occupies a large sector of the Alfalfa neighborhood, a place where they have settled since the 14th century. It is famous among Sevillians for the baking work of its nuns, who prepare the coveted yemas de San Leandro. The convent complex has a large number of rooms, with several cloisters and a very complex structure. However, its magnificent church is the only element that can be visited regularly, so we will focus on its analysis.

History

The Augustinian order arrived in Seville at the end of the 13th century and initially settled on land outside the city walls, near the Puerta de Córdoba. Apparently, it was a very unhealthy area and one of great insecurity, even being cited as “Degolladero de Cristianos”.

A century later, King Pedro I facilitated the transfer of the order to premises on current Melgarejos Street (1367). But the new location did not meet the necessary conditions either and from there they moved to the place they occupy today just a few years later.

The convent initially had a church, probably a Mudejar Gothic temple, but at the end of the 16th century it was decided to replace it and construction of the current one began. Francisco Pacheco, Velázquez's famous father-in-law, stated that the design of the new building corresponded to Juan de Oviedo. However, documentary evidence has only been able to confirm the participation in the project of Asensio de Maeda as architect and Juan de los Reyes and Juan Miguel, as master bricklayers.

DESCRIPTION

The temple is a classic “box church”, the most common type in Sevillian convents. It has a rectangular floor plan, with a single nave and a high and low choir at the foot.

Exterior

The convent has two exterior doors. The first is located in the Plaza de San Ildefonso and gives access to the cloister. It has a simple Mannerist form, with a lintel entrance framed by pilasters. These support a split pediment with a niche in the center that houses a small terracotta sculpture of Saint Augustine. This is the entrance through which the famous San Leandro yolks are generally shipped.

Next to the cover, since 2002, a small marble plaque has been located on which a fragment of a prose poem by Luis Cernuda can be read. It is taken from her book "Ocnos" and seems to allude to this convent: "In the Gallery after discreetly knocking on the convent's lathe, a female voice sounded like an old shearing: 'Deo gratias' she said. 'To God be given ', we responded. And the spun egg yolks..."

In the nearby Plaza de San Leandro the door opens that gives access to the church through its left wall. It is very similar to the previous one, but in this case the opening is a semicircular arch and the upper niche houses a burning heart, a symbol of the Augustinian order.

A few meters to the right is a ceramic altarpiece in which Saint Rita of Casia is presented. This saint was in life an Italian nun of the Augustinian order who lived at the end of the Middle Ages. She is usually represented with a small wound on her forehead, since according to tradition she had a stigma that recalled Christ's crown of thorns and that it miraculously reopened every night. Today she is one of the most popular saints in the Catholic world and she is known as an intercessor in impossible causes.

The tile that we find in our convent was made in the 1950s in the Santa Ana de Triana factory, although its author is unknown.

Inside

The church is accessed through a splendid gate richly decorated with sculptural decoration in the Baroque style. Upon entering, we find that the nave is divided into four sections through pilasters attached to the walls. Among them are the different side altarpieces of the church. A large main arch serves to separate the presbytery area at the head, while at the foot, a wall in which a large lattice opening opens, serves to separate the choir area, reserved for the cloister.

The nave is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes, divided into sections by transverse arches. The chancel area is covered by a hemispherical dome that is only visible from the inside.

Main nave divided into four sections by transverse arches and covered with a barrel vault with lunettes. Cruise covered by a hemispherical dome decorated with geometric paintings and only visible from the inside.

The pictorial decoration on the walls is not very abundant. We find it especially on the walls of the presbytery and in the dome, where geometric motifs very typical of Mannerism can be seen. In the center of each of the sections of the vault there are a type of rosettes like stalactites. They are framed by moldings that also form curious geometric motifs.

Main altarpiece

The current baroque altarpiece was built in the mid-18th century to replace a previous one made in the 16th century in the Mannerist style. The previous one had sculptural decoration by Jerónimo Hernández and, in fact, some of the old reliefs are preserved in the current one.

This has generally been attributed to Pedro Duque Cornejo and Felipe Hernández and has some characteristics that make it particular. For example, it is quite tall compared to most Sevillian altarpieces and is very compartmentalized, a fact that is not usually common in larger altarpieces. Perhaps the most original feature is that it is not gilded, but rather covered in light tones.

It is divided horizontally into two bodies and an attic, which are in turn divided vertically into three streets. To separate them, various types of columns are used, such as stipes or composite columns, all of them with profusely decorated shafts.

In the first body, the niche houses a contemporary image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is apparently the first of its kind to be worshiped in Seville. On both sides, two beautiful sculptures represent Saint Barbara and Saint Teresa, who appears as a Doctor of the Church.

The central niche of the second body houses the owner of the temple, San Leandro. He was bishop of Seville at the end of the 6th century, during the times of the Visigoths. In fact, he played an important role in their conversion from Arianism to Catholicism. He was the brother of the Sevillian bishop San Isidoro, probably the most prominent personality of this historical period in the peninsula.

Two scenes represented in relief occupy the side streets, probably works by Jerónimo Hernández coming from the previous altarpiece. On the left we have “The Adoration of the Magi” and the “Baptism of Christ”, and on the right we see Saint Augustine and “The Flagellation”.

In the center of the attic there is an interesting sculptural group, with Saint Augustine kneeling in the center and, behind him, Christ, the Virgin and the Holy Spirit observe him from Heaven. The whole, on the altarpiece, is crowned by a representation of God the Father in an attitude of blessing, surrounded by angels. In the side streets we find two reliefs also coming from the previous one: “The Assumption of the Virgin” and “The Prayer in the Garden”.

In addition to the main altarpiece, the church has a series of altarpieces that are attached to the side walls, some of them with enormous artistic interest.

Altarpieces on the right side:

- Next to the presbytery, a small chapel houses a simple neoclassical altarpiece from the 19th century. It houses a small dress image of the Virgin and Child, probably from the same period as the altarpiece.

- Next we find the altarpiece of San Agustín, made by Felipe de Ribas around 1650. It has a very classic structure, similar to that usual in the altarpieces of Martínez Montañés, with two bodies, an attic and three streets. In the center of the first body is Saint Augustine, with episcopal attributes, since he was bishop of Hippo, and holding the model of a church, which alludes to his consideration as one of the four fathers of the Church. On its sides appear Saint Thomas of Villanueva and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. In the center of the second body, a relief represents Saint Augustine and Saint Monica in the port of Ostia. Santa Clara de Montefalco and Santa Rita de Casia appear in the side streets. Finally, in the attic we find the Virgin and Child flanked by the allegories of Faith and Hope.

- Altarpiece of Saint John the Evangelist. It is located right in front of the one dedicated to San Juan Bautista, following a very common tradition in Sevillian convents, which used to place the altarpieces dedicated to the “holy johns” facing each other on both sides of the nave. This altarpiece of the Evangelist is a work by Martínez Montañés and his workshop, completed in 1632. In the center of the first body we find a magnificent relief with the representation of Saint John on Patmos, where the apostle wrote the Apocalypse according to tradition. This relief is considered to be the only personal work of Martínez Montañés, with the rest of the altarpiece being the work of his workshop. Above it, a small niche houses another relief with the representation of the martyrdom of John, following Tertullian's story in his “De praescriptione haereticorum XXXVI”, according to which the saint was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil but was miraculously unharmed. The relief is the work of Francisco de Ocampo, who was an apprentice in the workshop of Martínez Montañés. In the center of the second body is a Virgin and Child dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. On its side streets it is flanked by Santiago el Menor and Santa María Cleofás.

- Altarpiece of the Virgin of Consolation and Correa. It is a simple neoclassical altarpiece that houses in its central niche an image of the Virgin and Child made by Sebastián Santos Rojas in 1932. This curious dedication, “Consolación y Correa”, is legendary linked to the figure of Saint Monica , mother of Saint Augustine. Apparently, the saint was going through moments of great grief due to the sinful life of her son Augustine, which was added to the death of her husband. One day she was absorbed in meditation when the Virgin appeared to her, girded with a strap, and said: “Monica, my daughter, this is the dress I wore when I was with the men, after the death of my son. You will wear the same dress as a sign of your devotion to me.” The Virgin with this dedication is considered today the patron saint of the Augustinians. On two small side pedestals there are two contemporary carvings of San Francisco de Paula and San Juan de Sahagún.

: Retablo de San Agustín (Felipe de Ribas, c. 1650) *

: San Agustín (Felipe de Ribas, c. 1650) *

: Retablo de San Juan Evangelista (Martínez Montañés, 1632) *

: San Juan Evangelista en Patmos (Martínez Montañés, 1632) *

: Martirio de San Juan (Martínez Montañés)

: Virgen de la Consolación y Correa (Sebastián Santos Rojas, 1932) *

Altarpieces on the Gospel wall:

- Altarpiece of Saint Rita of Casia. It is a simple neoclassical altarpiece with a 19th century dress image as the title. Saint Rita has great popularity among parishioners, linked to the popular consideration of her as a lawyer in impossible causes. On the bench of the altarpiece there is a painting, also from the 19th century, that again represents the passage from “The Virgin giving the cingulum to Saint Monica.”

-Altarpiece of San Juan Bautista, contracted to Martínez Montañés in 1621, although most of the sculptures are the work of his workshop and not of the master personally. Once again we find the classic structure of the mountain altarpieces. In the central niche of the first body we see a splendid relief that shows the Baptist kneeling and pointing to the Lamb of God who appears in the upper right corner on a cloud. It alludes to the famous phrase uttered by John upon seeing Jesus: “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” According to its quality and characteristics, this part of the altarpiece is considered the personal work of Martínez Montañés. On both sides we find the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph.

On the relief of the Baptist, two angels support the masterful representation of the saint's head, also considered to have come from the master's gouge. In the center of the second body we find a Baptism of Christ, with a composition very similar to what we can find in the altarpiece with the same theme and workshop found in the church of the Annunciation. On the left is Saint Elizabeth and on the right is her husband Zechariah. In the attic, the Maltese cross or the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem refers to the dedication of the altarpiece.

- Next to the presbytery there is an interesting baroque altarpiece made by José Maestre in the second half of the 18th century. For a long time it housed the image of Saint Rita, but today it houses in its central niche a dress image of the Virgin and Child, probably also from the 18th century. In the side streets we find San Antonio de Padua and San Fernando. An expressive and beautiful Nazarene Jesus stands out in the attic, who seems about to fall exhausted from the weight of the cross.

: Retablo de Santa Rita de Casia (XIX) º

: Retablo de San Juan Bautista (Martínez Montañés, c. 1621) *

: San Juan Bautista (Martínez Montañés, c. 1621) *

: Cabeza de San Juan Bautista (Martínez Montañés, c. 1621) *

: San José (taller de Martínez Montañés, c. 1621) *

: Retablo de la Virgen con el Niño (José Maestre, segunda mitad del XVIII) º

CHURCH OF SAN ILDEFONSO

by Manuel Hellín

The church of San Ildefonso is an imposing neoclassical temple that stands right in front of the convent of San Leandro, in the Alfalfa neighborhood. Its construction began at the end of the 18th century and, from the outside, it is one of the most striking churches in Seville for various reasons. Firstly, there are very few neoclassical churches in the city. In addition, it has two tall twin towers that flank its entrance and is completely covered in the quintessential colors of Seville: albero and almagra.

History

The current temple began to be built at the end of the 18th century, replacing a previous one that was damaged after the Lisbon Earthquake in 1755. We know that San Ildefonso was one of the 24 parishes into which the city was divided after the Christian conquest. , so it is very likely that the previous temple was a medieval construction, probably of the Gothic Mudejar style so characteristic of Seville.

However, there is a tradition that tries to trace the origins of the parish to Visigothic times. It is based on a supposed tombstone that was preserved in the old church and that alluded to a priest named Saturninus who would have been buried in this place in 657. Diego Ortiz de Zúñiga, famous Sevillian historian of the 17th century, describes it this way in Book II of his famous “Ecclesiastical and Secular Annals”:

"...even as a primitive Christian Church, the Parish of San Ildefonso has singular signs, attested with the stone of the tomb of San Saturnino, which was inside it until the year 1649, when in the plague that this city suffered with the escape from opening graves, he was lost or buried there. Viola Ambrosio de Morales, Don Pablo de Espinosa and others, whose epitaph said: (…) Saturnino, Priest, servant of God, lived, more or less, 53 years. this life in peace on the 2nd of the Ides of November (it is the 12th) in the Era of 657, which is the year of Christ of 619. Call him Saint Saturninus' piety; but the epitaph only warns him of a Christian priest, a contemporary of our Archbishop and Patron San Isidoro. This tomb was in front of an altar of our Lady, whose painted effigy shows great antiquity, entitled Coral, and venerated with deep devotion."

Of note is the mention of the Virgen del Coral, a mural painting that fortunately is still preserved in the church today. Attempts to trace the origin of this venerated image to pre-Islamic times were also frequent, although currently its dating to the 14th century is certain, more or less contemporary with the Virgin of Antigua.

In any case, the works for the construction of the temple we are talking about today began in 1794 under the direction of José de Echamorro and in accordance with the neoclassical project of Julián Barcenilla. The monumentality of the building meant that the works lasted for almost fifty years. The church was inaugurated in 1816, but only with the left nave completed, so services were held at an altar presided over by the Virgen del Coral. Complete completion of the church would not take place until 1841.

DESCRIPTION

As we have pointed out in the introduction, the church of San Ildefonso is a neoclassical temple that fits perfectly with the academic aesthetic trend prevailing in the country since the 18th century and during the 19th century. It has a rectangular floor plan, divided into three naves, with the central nave and the transept being the widest. Protruding from the floor is a deep semicircular presbytery at the head and two large square towers at the foot.

Outside

Possibly the first thing that catches your attention from the outside is the bright albero and almagra colors with which the church is painted. On the main façade, the two towers stand out, moving forward with respect to the line of the façade, creating a small atrium in front of the main entrance.

The towers are very tall and have four bodies of decreasing size. The first two are square in plan, the third is octagonal in plan and the last is circular. They are decorated with white stone elements that stand out against the albero and almagra background, such as the columns, balustrades and vases.

The cover has two bodies and a very classic structure. The first, framed by pairs of Ionic columns, houses the segmental arch that constitutes the main entrance. Above it, a niche houses a small stone sculpture of San Ildefonso, also framed by columns on the sides, in this case in a composite style. The niche is topped by a curved pediment in the center of which the episcopal shield of the titular saint is represented.

On the left side, on Rodríguez Marín Street, a second access door to the temple opens, with similar characteristics to the previous one but simpler. In this case, two pairs of simple Tuscan columns frame the entrance. They also serve to support the entablature on which a simple niche topped by a triangular pediment is located.

In this niche we see two little angels holding a marble inscription that reads: “O ILDEPHONSE PER TE VIVIT DOMINA MEA QUE COELI CULMINA TENET.” This is a phrase that tradition attributes to Saint Leocadia. Apparently, one day Bishop Ildefonso was praying before the tomb of the saint, when she appeared to him and uttered the phrase that can be translated as "Oh Ildefonso, my Lady, who supports the peaks of heaven, lives through you". In this way, the apparition recognized the important work of Saint Ildefonso as a defender of the Virgin Mary and promoter of her devotion to her.

To the right of this side doorway, a molding with a classical structure but baroque decoration houses the ceramic altarpiece of Nuestro Padre Jesús Cautivo de Medinaceli. It is an image of great devotion that is venerated inside the temple and which we will talk about later. The tile was made by the great ceramist painter Antonio Kierman Flores in the Santa Ana factory in Triana (1955).

Inside

Inside, the church is divided into three naves by eight cruciform pillars. In the central nave and in the transept, the vaults are barrel vaults with lunettes and have transverse arches. The side naves, which are somewhat narrower, are covered by a groin vault, except in the chapels at the head of each nave, which are covered by hemispherical vaults. Above the transept there is a large dome, raised on a high circular drum and topped by a lantern. Both the drum and the lantern have semicircular openings that provide luminosity to the interior.

The presbytery area is quite unique in the context of Sevillian churches, since it does not have an altarpiece, following the dictates of the academic aesthetic to which the temple adheres. In its place, we find a classical style temple made by José Barrado in 1841. Six columns of black jasper support a hemispherical dome on which is located a small stone allegory of Faith. The temple houses a classic Immaculate Conception from the 18th century by the author a stranger.

Above the main arch that frames the presbytery, there are three niches between Corinthian columns that house the sculptures of San Ildefonso, in the middle, flanked on the sides by San Pedro and San Pablo. These are carvings made by Felipe de Ribas around 1637 that belonged to the altarpiece of the church before the current one. Juan de Astorga intervened on them in the 19th century to adapt them to the new temple, thus completely altering their original baroque polychrome.

The altarpieces of the church are all from the 19th century, in line with the neoclassical aesthetics prevailing at the time and without much artistic interest. However, the church has a series that should be highlighted for its artistic and historical interest.

On the Epistle side (on the right):

- Relief of the “Two Trinities”, made by Martínez Montañés around 1609. It is located in the Baptismal Chapel, at the foot of the Epistle nave (right). It is a beautiful relief in which the master combines the representation of the Trinity formed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, with that other trinity that would be formed by Jesus himself, along with Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary. The Holy Family is located on a lower plane, and above them the Holy Spirit and God the Father. In the center, the figure of Jesus, still a child and in front of a Cross, serves as a union and link between the two planes.

- Sculptural group of “The Appearance of the Virgin to San Cayetano”, in one of the chapels on the right side. It has been dated to the 18th century and is probably by Cristóbal Ramos.

- The Virgin of Soledad presides over another of the altarpieces on the right side. This is a magnificent dress-painting made around 1844 by Juan de Astorga, probably the most prominent sculptor of the 19th century in Seville.

- Sculptural group of “The delivery of the chasuble to San Ildefonso”, which is located in a marble altarpiece at the head of the nave. This is a quite interesting group dating from the late 18th or 19th century, but whose authorship is unknown.

In the Gospel nave (left side):

- At the foot of the nave, next to the entrance, a showcase like a temple houses a beautiful small-format Pietà. This is an image from the 18th century, most likely the work of the sculptor Cristóbal Ramos.

- Also on the Gospel side is the altarpiece of the Virgin of the Kings, also called “of the Tailors”, as this guild was the one that originally commissioned the image. Traditionally the image has been considered one of the so-called “fernandinas”, that is, original from the early times after the Christian conquest (13th century). Today there is a tendency to think that the image is the work of the 16th century, with notable baroque transformations, such as the Child himself, which was added in the 17th.

The image is owned by the Brotherhood of Tailors, which has its origin in the old San Marcos hospital, which was located in the Alfalfa area. This is the reason why we find a small carving of Saint Mark in the attic of the altarpiece. In the side streets, we find San Fernando and San Hermenegildo, patron saints of the Spanish monarchy. They are carvings by Pedro Roldán dated around 1674.

- At the left end of the transept is the Cautivo altarpiece, which houses the image of Nuestro Padre Jesús Cautivo y Rescatado, also called Medinaceli because it reproduces the iconography of the image found in Madrid with the same dedication. It is an anonymous image from the 18th century that represents Jesus just before starting the path to Calvary. It is a dress size that makes use of natural hair, a resource that was very common during the Baroque as a way of giving images greater realism and drama.

This iconography was greatly promoted by the order of the Trinitarians, who were dedicated to collecting alms for the rescue of Christian captives in Muslim territory. It was the monks of this order who brought devotion to Seville. The image was originally in the church of his convent, which was located next to the Plaza del Cristo in Burgos. When the convent disappeared during the confiscation, the carving went to the church of San Hermenegildo and from there it was moved to its current location at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently it has great devotion in the city, with numerous devotees approaching its altar every Friday, especially during the Fridays of Lent.

- At the head of the Gospel nave is the altarpiece of the Virgen del Coral. The central image is a very interesting representation of the Virgin and Child, by an anonymous author, but belonging to the so-called international style of the late 14th century. It would, therefore, be contemporary with the Virgen de la Antigua that is venerated in the Cathedral. José Francisco Haldón Reina makes an interesting description of the image on the parish website:

“It is a mural painting that follows the so-called international style, dating back to the last quarter of the 14th century. The dedication of the Coral is due to the fragment that hangs from the necklace that adorns the Child's neck. The red color of the coral appears here as a prefiguration of the Eucharist and the Passion of Christ. The Virgin is represented as "Hodegetria" (Bearer or Conductor). She is dressed in a purple tunic and mantle, decorated with golden lozenges, bands and plant motifs. The Virgin surrounds her head with a golden nimbus with stars. The head of the Child also has a golden nimbus. Both effigies are surrounded by golden glow. Mary carries the Child on her right arm, showing in her left hand a pomegranate, a symbol of the Church.

History

Outside

Interior

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History

Outside

Inside

Left Nave

Right Nave

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Inside

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Exterior

History

DESCRIPTION

Exterior

Inside

Main altarpiece

History

DESCRIPTION

Outside

Inside

On the Epistle side (on the right):

In the Gospel nave (left side):