Tag Archives: Baroque

CHURCH OF CONSOLATION – TERCEROS

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The Church of Our Lady of Consolation, generally known as "los Terceros", is a 17th century Baroque temple that stands on Calle Sol, in the Seville neighbourhood of Santa Catalina. Originally it was the church of the convent of the Third Order of Saint Francis that stood in this area and hence its popular name. It has a Latin cross plan, with a single nave and side chapels. It has only one façade on the outside, the one at the foot, which features an exuberant Baroque doorway. Since 1973 the church has been the headquarters of the Hermandad de la Cena, which processes on Palm Sunday.

History

A group of Franciscan monks belonging to the Third Order moved to Seville from the now defunct convent of San Juan de Morañina, in Bollullos Par del Condado. After arriving in the city, they settled in this area, near an old hermitage dedicated to Saints Cosme and Damián. From their previous convent in Bollullos, the monks brought an image of the Virgin of Consolation that was already greatly worshipped in its place of origin. The popularity of the image continued after its arrival in Seville, becoming the object of growing veneration among the locals. It seems that this was the seed for the construction of the convent and its church to begin in 1648, logically dedicated to the Virgin of Consolation.

The construction of the convent and its church continued until the 18th century and the Franciscans ran it until the French occupation in 1810, when the Napoleonic troops used it as a barracks and proceeded to plunder a large part of its heritage. The following year it was handed over to the Augustinian nuns and in 1819 the Franciscans returned. However, it would not last long, since in 1835 they abandoned it definitively as a consequence of the famous Mendizábal confiscation. A period of abandonment then began, the worst consequence of which was the collapse of the church vaults in 1845.

Image of the Virgin of Consolation, formerly the Virgin of Morañina. Image from the article by Adrián Bizcocho Olarte on “Popular religiosity...”

A new episode in the history of this convent began in 1888 when the Piarist Fathers took charge of it, carrying out important educational work in the city. They managed it until 1973, when they moved to Montequinto. That same year, Cardinal Bueno Monreal gave the use of the convent church to the Hermandad de la Cena, which has since been responsible for its maintenance and has undertaken the various restorations that have been necessary, such as the renovation of the roofs in 1988.

The rest of the convent currently serves as the headquarters of EMASESA, the public company for the management of water in the city. The two cloisters, the main one and a secondary one, are preserved, as well as a majestic monumental staircase designed by Fray Manuel Ramos at the end of the 17th century.

Former convent of the Terceros, today headquarters of EMASESA. Cloisters and dome over the staircase. Images from the blog Siglos de Sevilla.

Outside

The church has only one façade, located at the foot of the temple, on Calle Sol. It has a very interesting doorway made at the beginning of the 18th century in a baroque style that is very reminiscent of the style developed at the same time in Hispanic America. The authorship of the design is unknown, although it has traditionally been attributed to Friar Manuel Ramos, the creator of the monumental staircase we mentioned when referring to the area of ​​the convent.

The doorway is arranged like a three-lane altarpiece, with the central street occupied by the lintelled opening that is the entrance to the temple itself. The decoration was made using baked clay and exposed brick, with certain characteristics that, as we said, directly allude to Hispanic American baroque: the architectural elements take on curious and imaginative shapes and are filled with meticulous decoration that includes a multitude of symbolic elements.

On the side streets there are two niches with the terracotta carvings of Saint Joseph of Calasanz on the left and Saint Francis on the right. The two saints allude to the two main religious orders that have succeeded one another in the management of this temple since its creation: Saint Francis to the religious of the Third Order, founders of the convent, and Saint Joseph of Calasanz to the Piarists, who managed it from the end of the 19th century. This indicates that the sculptures are not the originals of the doorway, but were added much later, most likely already in the 20th century. In addition, their size is somewhat smaller than what would correspond to them according to the niches they occupy.

In the upper part of the side streets we find two medallions with the busts of two saints linked to the Franciscans, Saint Clara on the left and Saint Rose of Viterbo on the right. Above the door there is a space like a mixed-linear pediment in the centre of which there is a shield with Franciscan symbols. On the top left are the Five Wounds, the main symbol of the order, and on the right are three fleurs-de-lis. On the bottom, a hand points to a sun on which can be read "FIDEI" (Faith). Above the shield, an open royal crown at the base of which can be read "POENITENTIA CORONAT". We have no further information about the shield, although it must have been the one adopted by this convent as its own. In 2007 the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage undertook the restoration of a processional banner found in San Telmo with the same shield, so in all probability it was a banner representing the convent at official events.

On the four pillars that delimit the streets of the doorway are four Franciscan saints: on the left, Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and on the right, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal and Saint Ivo of Kermartin, patron saint of lawyers. Crowning the central part of the doorway, a niche houses an image of the Virgin of Consolation, reproducing the original carving found inside. Above the Virgin appears a white dove with open wings, representing the Holy Spirit, and crowning the whole is a carving of Saint Michael.

To the right of the doorway is a ceramic altarpiece with the image of the Virgin of the Underground, the Marian patron of the Brotherhood of the Supper. It was made in 1959 in the factory of Nuestra Señora de la Piedad by Antonio Morilla Galea and Manuel García Ramírez.

The façade has a tower on the right, topped by a two-body belfry with two openings for bells in the lower one and a single body in the upper one, topped by a curved pediment.

Inside

The first thing that catches your attention when you enter the Consolación church is its large size and monumentality, making it one of the most interesting examples of the convent churches of the Sevillian Baroque. It consists of a single nave of great width and in the shape of a Latin cross. On either side of the nave there are a series of side chapels which are accessed through semicircular arches closed by bars. At the foot of the church is the high choir, resting on a profusely decorated segmental vault. On one side of the choir is an organ, original from the first half of the 18th century, which according to Álvaro Cabezas García can be attributed to the altarpiece maker José Fernando de Medinilla. The original roof of the church was made by a large barrel vault that extended throughout the nave. However, this vault collapsed in the mid-19th century and today we find a flat roof. The barrel vault is preserved only over the choir, at the foot of the church, and over the presbytery area, at the head. Above the transept there is a hemispherical dome on pendentives, decorated with plasterwork that reproduces architectural elements, plant decoration, scrolls, angels' heads and other motifs characteristic of the Baroque.

This type of decoration based on plasterwork must have originally extended throughout the vault of the church. The decoration of the vault that supports the choir is especially rich, and in it the curious bunches of various fruits stand out, in a composition articulated by latticework and plant motifs, in which little angels and Marian symbols are mixed. It clearly recalls the plasterwork that we find in Santa María la Blanca, also made in the 18th century.

Presbytery

In the presbytery, the main altarpiece is a splendid baroque ensemble made by Francisco Dionisio de Ribas in 1669, which was subsequently renovated on several occasions. It can be considered one of the best examples of 17th century Sevillian altarpieces. It consists of two bodies and three sections, delimited by beautiful Solomonic columns with shafts delicately sculpted with plant motifs. The layout of the central space of the altarpiece was modified to accommodate the sculptural group of the Last Supper after the brotherhood was established in this temple. In the centre appears the figure of Jesus at the moment of the Eucharistic celebration. It was carved by Sebastián Santos Rojas in 1955 and its face is of such beauty that there are authors who point to it as the most beautiful image of Christ among those made for Holy Week in Seville in the 20th century. The apostles are the work of the Cadiz sculptor Luis Ortega Bru, one of the most original and outstanding figures of contemporary Spanish imagery. They were his last work, as they were first performed during Holy Week in 1983, a year after the sculptor's death. When the group is in the altarpiece, only eleven apostles accompany the Lord, as Judas Iscariot is excluded, who is part of the float on the day of the procession.

Above the group of the Last Supper, there is a niche with undulating shapes added to the altarpiece in 1700 to house the Virgin of Consolation, the titular of this temple. It is a small image of the Virgin with Child, which originally had the title of Our Lady of Morañina when it was worshipped in the convent that the Third Order ran in Bollullos Par del Condado before its transfer to Seville. The image dates back to the 14th century, but was thoroughly renovated to adapt it to the Baroque aesthetic, probably in the 18th century.

Continuing along the first level, on the left we find Saint Ivo of Brittany and Saint Elizario, while on the right we find Saint Conrad and Saint Louis of France. In the second level, in the centre there is a relief with "Saint Francis approving the rules of the Third Order". The relief is flanked by Saint Elizabeth of Portugal on the left and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary on the right.

Transept

The presbytery is flanked by two other smaller altarpieces located in the arms of the transept. Both are from the first third of the 18th century and house an image of the Virgin and Child on the left and a Jesus of Nazareth on the right. Originally the altarpieces were dedicated to two high-quality images of Saint Michael and Saint Raphael that are currently usually located in the sacramental chapel.

At the left end of the transept there is an altarpiece from the beginning of the 18th century that houses the image of Our Lady of the Underground, Queen of Heaven and Earth, titular of the Brotherhood of the Supper. The image is a painful one to dress that has traditionally been attributed to the 19th century sculptor Juan de Astorga, although due to its stylistic features it cannot be ruled out that it is an older image, probably from the 17th century. The altarpiece in which it is located once belonged to the Brotherhood of Love, which had its headquarters in this church. In fact, behind the Virgin, the shape of the cross that once housed the Christ of Love is visible. It is worth remembering that the Brotherhood of the Holy Entry into Jerusalem was also founded in this church and that it was here that both merged to give way to the Brotherhood of Love that we know today, based in the church of El Salvador. In fact, in the attic of the altarpiece there is a relief that represents precisely the scene of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding the famous "little donkey".

Opposite the altarpiece of the Virgin of the Underground, in the right-hand head of the transept, there is an altarpiece with very dynamic shapes carved by Fernando de Medinilla in 1727. It is presided over by the image of the Christ of Humility and Patience, which is also the titular of the Brotherhood of the Supper, also participating in the procession on its float. The image was made in the 16th century, making it one of the oldest images of Holy Week in Seville. It has the peculiarity of not being made of wood but of glued fabrics. It represents Christ sitting on a rock just before the crucifixion, resting his head on his right hand in a reflective attitude. This iconography has deep roots in Sevillian religiousness since the first carvings were made from an engraving by Dürer in 1511.

Chapels

On the Gospel side (left) of the church is the Sacramental Chapel, with a rectangular floor plan and a barrel vault with lunettes. Both the walls and the vaults are profusely decorated with baroque ornamentation from the beginning of the 18th century. It is presided over by a neoclassical altarpiece from the 19th century presided over by an Immaculate Conception. It is flanked by carvings of Saint Mary of Egypt and Saint Anthony of Padua, and in the attic there is a Crucifix. All the carvings are approximately from the beginning of the 19th century, except for the Immaculate Conception, which is from the 17th century. On both sides of the chapel are two altarpieces, also neoclassical, which house the images of Saint Michael and Saint Raphael from the beginning of the 18th century. Also in this chapel is a dressed image of Saint Francis from the 17th century that apparently came out in procession through the streets of the neighbourhood. There is also a crucifix with the dedication of Christ of the Good Death, of remarkable quality, which has been dated to the beginning of the 18th century.

Opposite the sacramental chapel, on the Epistle side (right) is the chapel of Our Lady of the Incarnation. It is presided over by a neoclassical altarpiece that houses the image of the Virgin who is the titular glory of the Brotherhood of the Supper. It is a 17th century carving attributed to Juan de Mesa, although it was deeply renovated later. The chapel remained closed for a long time after suffering a collapse but can be returned to worship after its restoration in 2019.

CAPILLA DEL MAYOR DOLOR (VIRGIN OF THE GREATEST PAIN)

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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

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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

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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.

KING’S WOOD WAREHOUSES

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The so-called Almacén del Rey is an old building originally built around 1735. Its purpose was to house the wood that arrived in the city down the Guadalquivir from the Sierra del Segura (Jaén). Its current appearance is far from the original, since between 1950 and 1960 important reforms were undertaken: a floor for residential use was added and the ground floor was transformed for commercial use. The architects Alberto Balbontín de Orta and Antonio Delgado Roig were the architects of these transformations, after which it can be considered that only part of the original building remains.

The building has a rectangular floor plan. On three sides, there are “slightly lowered semicircular arches on the outside, finishing off the construction with towers like sentry boxes and with attic openings in the centre of each side. On the main front, between two of the aforementioned openings, there is a royal coat of arms”.

FOUNTAIN IN THE PLAZA DE LA ENCARNACIÓN

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In the Plaza de la Encarnación there is an original marble fountain from the 18th century, considered the oldest of those preserved in Seville. It is made up of a large circular section vessel, in the centre of which stands a baroque-shaped fountain-shaft. In the middle there are some sort of zoomorphic masks that pour out the water, probably representing the four mythical rivers that watered the original Paradise. Crowning the fountain, four little angels hold a four-sided shield on which there are inscriptions narrating the various events in the history of the monument.

The square where it stands today was the site of the former Convent of the Augustinian nuns of the Encarnación since the end of the 16th century. The fountain was placed around 1720 in a small square at the entrance to this convent. It had a practical function, as it was one of the points through which the water that reached the city through the Caños de Carmona was dispensed.

In 1811, during the French occupation, the convent was demolished and, years later, it was decided to build a food market in the same place. The fountain then moved to a space next to the new market. A century later, around 1948, an urban remodelling of the area took place and the fountain was moved to its current location.

The fountain was built in the Baroque style, but, as it has come down to us, it includes some neoclassical elements, probably added in a restoration in 1861.

 

* Diario de Sevilla

FOUNTAIN OF THE GOD MERCURY

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Located at one end of Plaza de San Francisco, opposite the main façade of the Bank of Spain, we find a fountain dedicated to the god Mercury. It has a circular basin raised on four steps, in the centre of which there is a pillar with neo-baroque decoration. On each of its sides there are "masks" that pour jets of water onto the sea of ​​the fountain.

The bronze statue that crowns the fountain represents Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, heir to the Greek Hermes. Specifically, due to its iconography, it can be said that it is a "Hermes Argifonte", since he holds a sword in one hand and a caduceus in the other, recalling the order he received from Zeus to kill the multi-eyed giant Argos Panoptes, who was watching the nymph Io in the sanctuary of Hera.

The fountain that we find today is the result of a reconstruction carried out by the architect Rafael Manzano in 1974. For its design he followed the model of a previous fountain that was in the same place, the work of Juan Fernández Iglesias. The statue of Mercury that we can still see today belonged to this 18th century fountain.

There was even a previous fountain in the same place and with the same theme, built around 1576 and in whose design Asensio de Maeda participated as architect and Diego de Pesquera as the author of Mercury. The sculpture was cast in bronze by Bartolomé Morel, who was also the founder of the "Giraldillo", the monumental weather vane that crowns the Giralda. This primitive fountain was destroyed during a disturbance in 1712.

It seems that there has been a fountain in this area at least since medieval times. In all likelihood it was not a monumental fountain but was intended to supply water to the residents.

The choice of Mercury as the theme of the fountain is related to the commercial splendour in which Seville lived, mainly after the Discovery of America, when the city became the "gateway and port of America", as its port was the only one authorised for commercial exchanges between Spain and the American territories.

In fact, it is not the only fountain dedicated to Mercury in the city. There is another one in the Gardens of the Alcázar. It was made by Diego de Pesquera and cast by Bartolomé Morel around 1576.

 

* Wikimedia Commons

CHURCH OF THE MAGDALENE

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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.

DESCRIPTION

The church has a Latin cross plan with three naves, the central one being wider and higher than the side ones. At the head of the temple there is a deep polygonal presbytery, as well as four other rectangular chapels, two on each side. In addition, the plan is altered by four other chapels: two at the foot and two on the right side, the sacramental chapel and the chapel of Quinta Angustia.

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.

At a great distance above the doorway there is a large oval framed by an ornate baroque moulding. In it we can make out a series of small spheres that symbolise the beads of the Rosary. On either side we find two sundials.

At the top, the façade is crowned by a triple bell gable. On either side, there are two bodies that house three openings with bells each, while in the centre there is a small doorway like a balcony. In this central body there are two small busts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul and it is probably unfinished at the top. The ornamentation is focused on this area of ​​the façade, where we find Solomonic columns and geometric decoration based on blue glazed ceramics.

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.

Interior

 

Pictorial decoration

The first impression on entering the church is that of grandeur, due to its large size and its profusion of decoration. The walls are intensely decorated, with sculptural decoration concentrated mainly on the cornices and the profile of the arches, reproducing plant forms and baroque rocaille.

These same elements are repeated in the pictorial decoration, which covers almost the entire walls, in a complex iconographic programme directed by Lucas Valdés. On the pillars that separate the side naves from the central nave, there are representations of the apostles (with the exception of Judas Iscariot) and Saint Paul. Most of them were executed by Clemente Torres, although other artists such as Alonso Miguel de Tovar, Germán Lorente and Lucas Valdés himself also participated.

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.

- On the side walls of the presbytery there are two large canvases with the themes “David before the Ark of the Covenant” and the “Offering of the High Priest Melchizedek”, both with scenes with Eucharistic connotations.

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.

CONVENT OF SAN LEANDRO

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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.

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.

📷   * : Wikimedia Commons  │   º : Leyendas de Sevilla

CHURCH OF SAN ALBERTO

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The church of San Alberto is the temple of the convent of the same name, which currently houses the Congregation of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri (Philippian fathers). It is a church with a single nave built in the first half of the 17th century, but with profound reforms in the following centuries.

History

The convent originally belonged to the order of the Carmelites, who founded the convent of San Alberto in 1602 as a center of higher education. The church was not consecrated until 1626 and work continued for a few more years, with the completion of the main chapel in 1640.

The convent and the church suffered considerably during the French occupation (1810-1812), when the complex was transformed into a barracks for Napoleonic troops. A good part of its artistic heritage was then lost.

After the war, the Carmelites would return to the convent, although it would not be for long. After the Confiscation of Mendizábal (1636) they were forced to abandon it. From that moment on, it went through various uses, such as the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Good Letters or a secondary school. Finally, it was acquired by the Philippian fathers at the end of the 19th century.

A dispute then began with the Carmelites, former owners of the property, who defended their right to return to it. Finally, through the intermediation of Cardinal Spínola, the Carmelites settled in the old Buen Suceso hospital, where they remain today. To seal the peace, the Philippians had to give them some artistic works of special relevance that were originally in this church and that are today found in Buen Suceso. We can cite the magnificent “Saint Anne presenting the Virgin in the Temple”, by Martínez Montañés, or the carvings of “Saint Albert” and “Saint Teresa”, by Alonso Cano.

Description

The church responds to a late-mannerist model that we found on other occasions in Seville. It has a rectangular floor plan and a single, large nave. It is divided into five sections by large buttresses. Between them a series of side chapels-niches open, over which a tribune runs.

The covering is done by lowered vaults with lunettes and transverse arches. Especially interesting is the elliptical dome that covers the transept. It sits on pendentives and eight oculi open in it, giving it luminosity.

The presbytery is slightly elevated with respect to the rest of the church and at the foot of the temple is the high choir, also sitting on a lowered vault with lunettes.

Outside

Access to the church is through a simple mannerist door open at the foot of the right wall. It is a work with very simple lines that has been related to the architect Diego López Bueno. Above the door there is a split pediment with a niche in the center. The sculpture represents Saint Albert and was carved in 1626 by Alonso Álvares de Albarrán, a disciple of Martínez Montañés. It has some remains of polychrome, but it probably comes from some restoration in the 19th century.

In a curious chamfer on the left side of the façade there is an open chapel with two sections. The first and largest is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen, while the upper one houses a tile of the Virgin of Perpetual Help. To the right of the doorway we find another ceramic altarpiece, this time reproducing the carving of San Felipe Neri that is found inside the church. Fernando Orce painted it for the Pedro Navia factory in Triana around 1955.

Although it is difficult to see from the façade, the church has a bell tower visible from the surrounding streets. It presents the usual tile decoration of the Sevillian bell towers and is dated 1739. It is very likely that the tower is earlier and that this date corresponds to a major renovation that had to be undertaken after it was badly damaged in 1736 when it fell on it. a ray.

Inside

The main altarpiece is neoclassical in style and was made to replace a previous baroque style altarpiece destroyed during the French occupation. In its large central niche, there is a Crucified figure that reproduces the Christ of Clemency by Martínez Montañés. It was made in 1791 by a sculptor named Ángel Iglesias, of whom no other works are known.

At the foot of the Cross there is an anonymous 18th century Dolorosa dress. It is of notable quality and it has been pointed out that it could be the painful primitive of the Brotherhood of the True Cross (Manuel Jesús Roldán, “Iglesias de Sevilla”).

In the side streets are Santa María Magdalena and Santa María Egipciaca, interesting works by Duque Cornejo (18th century). In the attic we find anonymous sculptures dating from the same period as the altarpiece. In the center, a group represents “The Apotheosis of Saint Albert”, and on the sides are Saint Elias and Saint Teresa.

In the presbytery area, the lamp angels are also interesting, made in the 18th century by Cayetano de Acosta, one of the most prominent sculptors of this century in Seville.

The rest of the altarpieces are neoclassical, from the 19th century, and are not of considerable quality. Some of them can be mentioned because they have some aspect of interest:

- Altarpiece of the Virgin of Valvanera. In its central niche it houses an interesting image from the early 19th century that reproduces the Virgin of Valvanera, patron saint of La Rioja. It is flanked on the side streets by Blesseds Antonio Gassi and Juan de Ávila. In the attic there is a painting with "The Breastfeeding of Saint Bernard", anonymous from the 18th century, which reflects the medieval tradition according to which the Virgin Mary appeared to the saint to grant him the gift of eloquence by giving him to drink her own breast milk. she. On both sides are two saints, presumably Carmelites, but not identified.

- Altarpiece of San José. Located next to the previous one on the left side of the church. The only notable thing is the central carving that represents Saint Joseph with the baby Jesus in his arms. Saint Joseph has traditionally been one of the favorite devotions of the Carmelites. Here we find it in a carving made by the Sevillian sculptor Cristóbal Ramos around 1782. It is worth highlighting the moving delicacy with which Saint Joseph rests his cheek on the head of the Child.

- Altarpiece of San Antonio. It is located in one of the niches on the Gospel side (left). The altarpiece and the central carving do not present much interest from an artistic point of view, but the five paintings that decorate it are worth highlighting. They represent the Four Evangelists in the side streets and “The Coronation of the Virgin” in the attic. Historically they were attributed to Francisco Pacheco, but today they are considered works of Juan del Castillo from around 1632.

- Altarpiece of San Felipe Neri. Located on the right side of the transept, in front of the altarpiece of the Virgin of Valvanera. Its interest lies in the carving of the saint that occupies the central niche. It is a work of great quality that was sometimes linked to the production of Pedro Roldán. Today it is considered more of a work by Duque Cornejo, based on an attribution made by Manuel García Luque, which dates it to the beginning of the 18th century.

- Nativity altarpiece. It is located next to that of San Felipe Neri, on the Epistle side. Of particular note is the sculptural ensemble of the Nativity located in the central niche, dating back to the 18th century. On the sides are San Joaquín and Santa Ana. Both appear to be from the 17th century, although apparently they were not made together, since the figure of San Joaquín is somewhat smaller.

The rest of the altarpieces are interesting for their devotional value rather than their artistic value. They are dedicated to such popular devotions as the Sacred Heart, the Virgin of Perpetual Help or Saint Joseph.