Tag Archives: XVII

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.

CHURCH OF SAN ESTEBAN

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The church of San Esteban is located in the Alfalfa neighborhood, which has historically been the main access axis to the city from the East. It is a Mudejar Gothic temple built in the second half of the 14th century, although its exterior façades are somewhat later. As time went by, other reforms and extensions came, such as the construction of the tower, which dates back to the 17th century.

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

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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.

CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR

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The Church of the Divine Savior of Seville is the second largest temple in the city, only after the Cathedral. It is one of the great architectural jewels of the city and inside it houses a magnificent sculpture collection, with works by the most prominent authors of the Sevillian baroque. As a result of its long and complex history, a huge and majestic temple with three naves has been created. The transept stands out noticeably in height over the rest, although it is not perceptible in the floor plan of the building, which is called a living room.

History

We know that in the space it occupies today was the so-called mosque of Ibn Adabbas, created around 830 as the aljama or main mosque of the city. It held this rank until the new great mosque was built in the 12th century, on the site now occupied by the Cathedral.

Some elements of the mosque that was located in El Salvador have been preserved, such as part of its patio and the beginning of its minaret, which corresponds to the lower part of the tower that we find at the northern end, on Córdoba Street.

Once the city was conquered by the Christians in 1248, the mosque was used as a church, although maintaining the essentials of its structure. It remained this way for centuries, with the architectural characteristics of an Islamic temple but serving for Christian worship, as continues to happen today, for example, with the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.

However, when the 17th century arrived, it seems that its condition was quite ruinous and it was decided to build a new temple. Work began around 1674, but when the vaults were being closed, a resounding collapse occurred that forced a good part of the project to be rethought.

Leonardo de Figueroa, the best architect of the Sevillian baroque, who also intervened in other projects such as San Luis de los Franceses or La Magdalena, was eventually entrusted with directing the works. In this case, Figueroa was in charge of closing the vaults, building the large dome and finishing the interior of the building. The works were not completed until 1712.

Outside

Courtyard and Tower

Today you can see some remains of the old mosque in the current Patio de los Naranjos, where some of the columns that surrounded the primitive ablution patio are preserved in situ. Some of them have Roman and Visigoth origin, and their depth makes it clear that the height of the mosque was much lower than that of the current church.

The base of the bell tower, between the patio and Córdoba Street, was also the original minaret of the mosque, completely altered on its upper floors by successive renovations. The upper part that we can see today was added by Leonardo de Figueroa at the end of the 17th century.

Capilla de los Desamparados

At the western end of the patio is the Chapel of Cristo de los Desamparados, a small rectangular temple that was built in the mid-18th century, under the direction of one of Leonardo Figueroa's sons, Matías or Ambrosio. Sources differ in this regard.

The interior is covered by two elliptical vaults, the one closest to the main altar being crowned by a lantern. Its walls are profusely decorated with baroque mural paintings and a series of niches open on the sides as side altars. In one of them is located the Virgen del Prado, a dress image made by the image maker Sebastián Santos in 1949, who is the owner of his own brotherhood of glory.

The main altarpiece is occupied by the image of the Cristo de los Desamparados, owner of the chapel, a crucified by an anonymous author that has been dating back to the 16th century.

Church Facade

As for the church itself, the main façade has very classic baroque lines and Italian influence, close to Renaissance forms. The succession of stone pilasters and reddish brick panels achieve the classic bichrome that is so characteristic of many Sevillian buildings since the Lonja, today the Archive of the Indies, was built in the 16th century.

Despite its monumentality, the Salvador façade stands out for its scarce decoration, which contrasts greatly with the interior.

It is organized into three streets separated by pairs of pilasters, which correspond to the three naves of the temple. In the first body there are three doors, with the central one larger than the side ones. They are framed in a very classic way, with pilasters supporting a lintel on which a second, much smaller body opens. Two angels on each lintel hold a shield with the representation of the "Agnus Dei". On the main portal, a globe crowned by a cross symbolizes the "Savior", while the side portals are crowned by the effigies of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

The Plateresque-style decoration that runs through the pilasters and some of the moldings is relatively recent, from the end of the 19th century. Two oculi framed by square molding open on the side portals.

In the second body, we find only the extension of the central street, framed again by pilasters, and with a large central oculus as the only decoration. On each side, there are two areas decorated with scrolls, very frequent elements in European religious architecture since the Renaissance. They have the function of softening the transition between the great width of the first body and the much smaller width of the second.

Behind these convoluted spaces are hidden two buttresses that seem to serve to support the weight of the walls of the central nave. It should be noted that these elements are traditionally linked to Gothic architecture and not to Baroque. In the case of El Salvador they are especially interesting since they apparently do not fulfill any structural function due to their position. It has been pointed out by several authors that the inclusion of buttresses would simply be due to a symbolic interest, that of highlighting the importance of the church as a collegiate temple by introducing this type of elements traditionally linked to a type of "cathedral" architecture. This is how José María Medianero Hernández explains it in an article dedicated to the survival of flying buttresses in Lower Andalusian architecture:

“The general compositional role does not appear to be fortunate given its setback composition with respect to the aforementioned lateral additions ending in volutes and its only functionality seems to be established in the mission of conducting the discharge of water. Of course, this trivial problem could have been solved in a simpler way. Perhaps the most plausible explanation is the recurrence to an emblematic motif of a collegiate temple with cathedral aspirations, desires and pretensions that architecturally transcend the packaging and elegance of the building.

Dome

The dome is the most recognizable element of the church of El Salvador, especially when the temple is viewed from a distance. It was built in 1709-1710 following the design and direction of Leonardo de Figueroa, an architect who created other masterful domes in Seville, among which those of the Magdalena and San Luis de los Franceses stand out.

In the case of El Salvador, it is a hemispherical dome on an octagonal drum. It has a height of more than 40 meters and a width of more than 10 meters. The elevated drum serves to highlight the dome above the rest of the church's roofs and eight windows open on its sides, crowned by alternating curved and straight pediments.

The domes of the church of El Escorial and the Clerecía of Salamanca have been noted as antecedents, both indebted to the dome designed by Bernini for the church of Castelgandolfo.

Inside

The church has a rectangular or hall floor plan, as it does not form the classic Latin cross shape so common in Christian churches. It is divided into three naves, the central one being higher and wider than the side ones. Although the church does not have side chapels, but rather altars, some spaces are attached to the main body of the floor, such as the old baptismal chapel, the sacramental chapel and the sacristy.

The vaults are supported by colossal square pillars to which are attached columns of composite order and richly sculpted shafts. The roof is made with a barrel vault in the central nave and the transept, and a groin vault in the side naves.

The sculptural decoration runs through the stone parts of the interior of the temple, such as the shafts of the columns or the spandrels of the arches. It is mostly plant decoration, scrolls and other baroque motifs. We also frequently see the royal coat of arms, especially in the keystones of the transverse arches, an element that had the purpose of emphasizing to the Cathedral chapter the fact that the church was a royally founded collegiate church. We also find decoration in the pendentives that support the dome, in which the busts of the four evangelists are located in medallions surrounded by profuse ornamentation.

Main Altarpiece 

The church is dominated by an imposing baroque altarpiece, made between 1770 and 1779 by the Portuguese sculptor Cayetano de Acosta. It is a masterpiece of Sevillian altarpiece art that has sometimes been called "the last great altarpiece of the Spanish Baroque." The decorative profusion makes it difficult to distinguish the architectural structure of the altarpiece. In its center the scene of the Transfiguration of the Lord is represented, the moment in which Christ is present after the Resurrection on Mount Tabor. He is accompanied by Moses and Elijah, as representatives of the Old Testament and, on a lower level, the apostles Peter, James and John prostrate themselves in admiration. The central figure of Christ adopts a posture that has been related to the colossal Longinus that Bernini sculpted for St. Peter in the Vatican and is framed by a large scallop. The rest of the altarpiece is motley with countless figures of cherubs, angels and archangels. On the bench there are reliefs with representations of the Fathers of the Church and in the center we find a Tabernacle-Manifestator, crowned by an Immaculate Conception. In the attic, the figure of God the Father presides over the entire complex, emphasized by large golden sparkles behind him.

The hemispherical vault over the presbytery is decorated by tempera paintings that Juan de Espinal made at the end of the 18th century. It represents heavenly glory, with the Holy Spirit in the center, and through optical effects such as a fake balustrade, it manages to give the impression that it is a higher vault than it really is.

Organ

Above the main entrance to the church, there is today an imposing wooden organ, made by Juan de Bono and Manuel Barrera at the end of the 18th century. This organ was located in the center of the temple, in the choir area that opened in front of the High Altar. Collegiate churches were required to have their own choir, as is the case with cathedrals. A brilliant musical career developed in this temple since the 16th century, with such outstanding figures as the organist Correa de Arauxo, called "the Spanish Bach." In 1861 the collegiate character of the church was removed, the choir area was eliminated and the organ was moved to its current location. Even today, it is considered one of the best organs in Andalusia and is immersed in a restoration process.

Also magnificent is the altarpiece of the Virgin of the Waters, on the right side of the transept, a work by José Maestre from 1731 presided over by this Marian image of the so-called “fernandinas”, dating back to the 13th century but much remodeled later. These are just two examples of the large collection of altarpieces that this church houses.

And the representation in the temple of great masters of sculpture is exceptional. In all probability, the two great figures of the Sevillian baroque are Juan Martínez Montañés and his disciple Juan de Mesa.

Of the first, El Salvador preserves a colossal sculpture of Saint Christopher, reminiscent of Michelangelo for its monumentality and beauty. But the most outstanding work of this author in El Salvador is surely Our Father Jesus of the Passion, a moving image of the Lord with the cross on his back, which wonderfully shows the classicism of Montañés's baroque, managing to convey all the feeling and the emotion of the moment, but in a contained, elegant and solemn way. It presides over the silver altarpiece of the Sacramental Chapel and goes out in procession every Holy Thursday. We are not exaggerating when we say that it is one of the most successful representations of Jesus the Nazareth of the Spanish Baroque.

From the other great master of Sevillian baroque, Juan de Mesa, we find the Christ of Love, who also processions from this temple during Holy Week, this time during Palm Sunday. It is an exceptional carving of a crucified man, already dead, with a masterful treatment of the anatomy, hair and cloth. An exceptional work within the production of its author, which seems to have taken into account for its creation the model that his teacher Montañés made a few years before with the Christ of Clemency that we found in the Cathedral.

Along with these masters, the list of great artists with works in this church of the Savior is almost countless. We could cite, for example, Duque Cornejo, José Montes de Oca or Antonio Quirós. But for now we finish here this small sketch about the authentic living museum of Sevillian baroque that is the old schoolhouse of El Salvador. We will tell more in future installments.

And remember that if you are interested in taking a guided tour so as not to miss any of the details, you can contact us by any means you prefer from this website.

CONVENT OF SANTA MARÍA DE JESÚS

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The church of the convent of Santa María de Jesús is the only currently visitable part of a monastic complex of Poor Clare sisters that has been located on Águilas Street since the 16th century. It is a classic “box church” ("iglesia de cajón"), so common in Sevillian convents, which is why it has a rectangular floor plan and a single nave.

History

The convent of Franciscan nuns of Santa María de Jesús was founded in 1502 by Jorge Alberto de Portugal and his wife, Filipa de Melo, who eventually became the first counts of Gelves by concession of Charles V. Since its origin it has been a convent of barefoot nuns of the First Rule of Saint Clare (Franciscan). The construction of the current church was undertaken at the end of the 16th century and was considerably renovated at the end of the 17th century and in the middle of the 19th century.

Another important milestone in the history of this church would be the disappearance in 1996 of the Sevillian Convento de Santa Clara, on Becas Street. The few nuns who remained in the cloister moved to this convent of Santa María de Jesús, bringing with them some of the movable property belonging to the old convent.

Outside

Access from the outside is through a Mannerist doorway open on the left wall, in whose design the architects Juan de Oviedo and Alonso de Vandelvira are known to have participated. It is a lintelled doorway, framed by classic Ionic style pilasters and topped by a split and curved pediment. Above the center is a niche, topped this time by a triangular pediment, which houses a beautiful seated sculpture of the Virgin holding the Child Jesus. On the lintel above the door, two angels hold an inscription that reads "Sancta María ora pro nobis", in which "María" has been replaced by the symbol of the Ave Maria (AM). Just below appears "SE REN. YEAR OF 1695", referring to the date of one of the most important reforms undertaken in the temple.

A few meters to the right of this doorway, you can see another one that is now blocked off and which was once the primitive access to the cloister. In the center of this old entrance there is currently a ceramic altarpiece of San Pancracio that is very popular among Sevillians. It was made in the 40s of the 20th century by Alfonso Chaves Tejada at the Ramos Rejano Factory in Triana.

Inside

Inside, the nave is covered by a barrel vault with lunettes and transverse arches. Intricate plasterwork decorates the base of the transverse arches, the center of the vaults and the semicircular space under the lunettes. In this area, the plasterwork frames the windows that open onto the street on the Gospel side and a series of canvases from the old convent of Santa Clara on the Epistle side.

At the foot of the church, there are the upper and lower choirs, reserved for the cloister and separated from the rest of the temple by a wall in which large bars and two side doors open.

A large main arch on marble columns separates the nave from the presbytery like a triumphal arch. In its lower part, a small fence makes the presbytery an exclusive area for the officiants and the nuns. It is covered by a splendid eight-panel coffered ceiling in the Mudejar style, dating from the end of the 16th century. This characteristic is quite particular to this church, since in general in Sevillian convent churches it is common to cover this area with Gothic-style stone vaults. It has a tile plinth dated 1589 and attributed to the ceramist Alonso García. The walls are profusely decorated with baroque motifs and little angels that frame representations of archangels and allegories of monastic life. They have been dated to the end of the 17th century and their state of conservation is quite poor.

The main altarpiece was also made at the end of the 17th century and is of extraordinary quality. Cristóbal de Guadix was its assembler and Pedro Roldán the image maker, making all the sculptures, with the exception of the Virgin who occupies the central niche that is later. The central body is divided into three streets through four splendid Solomonic columns. On the left we find Saint Francis and, above him, a bust of Saint Michael. In parallel, on the right is Santa Clara and a bust of Santa Catalina. It should be remembered that Saint Francis is obviously the founder of the order that bears his name and Saint Clare the architect of its female branch.

The central street is almost entirely occupied by a large niche that houses a beautiful seated image of the Virgin changing the diapers of the Baby Jesus. Although it lacks reliable documentation, this image has been attributed to Luisa Roldán, la Roldana, based on her stylistic characteristics. Above the niche, a small temple houses a representation of the Eucharist.

In the center of the attic, a high relief represents the Nativity of the Virgin, framed in curious architectural forms that emphasize the sensation of depth of the composition. On both sides, the figures of the "Santos Juanes", San Juan Bautista and San Juan Evangelista, always present in the Sevillian conventual churches.

Also inside the presbytery, to the right, is a small altarpiece, framed by Solomonic columns, dedicated to the Jesus of Forgiveness. It is a representation of Jesus with the Cross on his back, from the 17th century and in full size, something quite unusual for the Sevillian Nazarenes. Its authorship is not documented but it has sometimes been attributed to Juan de Mesa himself, author of Gran Poder. In the attic of the altarpiece we find a relief in which Pope Honorius III is represented giving Saint Francis the Rules of the Order.

Although the temple does not have side chapels, several altarpieces are attached to its walls as small altars. On the Gospel side, we find two dated to the end of the 17th century and also attributed to Cristóbal de Guadix. They are dedicated respectively to Saint Anne, who appears in the traditional attitude of teaching the Virgin to read, and to Saint Andrew, holding the cross in the shape of a cross on which he was martyred.

On the opposite wall, the first altarpiece is dedicated to Saint Anthony and is of similar chronology and characteristics to the previous ones. Something later seems to be the next altarpiece, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which is presided over by a beautiful carving from the 18th century that has been attributed to both Duque Cornejo and Luisa Roldán.

The next altarpiece, just in front of the entrance, is from the 20th century and houses a also modern image of Saint Pancras. It is probably the image with the least artistic value in the church but one of the ones that arouses the most popular fervor, since popular religiosity has been attributing to Saint Pancras the ability to effectively mediate especially in matters related to the work and economic sphere.

Finally, next to the low choir, the oldest altarpiece in the temple is located. Of Renaissance style, it dates back to 1587 and is the work of Asensio de Maeda and Juan de Oviedo. In the central body, framed by two Ionic columns, there is the relief of Jesus on the way to Calvary, which has the particularity that the Cross is held in a different way than usual, with Christ embracing the longest section, just like the does Our Father Jesus of the Brotherhood of Silence. In the attic there is another relief representing God the Father, probably also from the end of the 16th century, and on the bench we find a painting with the "Souls of Purgatory", already from the 18th century.

In the center of the wall that separates the nave from the upper and lower choirs, there is a Crucified Christ from the 17th century from the exclaustrated Convent of Santa Clara. It is located in the center of a curious canopy in which the emblems of San Francisco and Santa Clara (Franciscans) can be distinguished. On both sides there are two canvases also from the 17th century with "The Franciscan Martyrs of Japan" and "The Foundation of the Third Order by Saint Francis." In both there are signs with descriptions at the bottom, making their didactic purpose clear.

* Repositorio Gráfico del IAPH : https://repositorio.iaph.es/

CHURCH OF SAN ISIDORO

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The church of San Isidoro is one of the medieval parishes of Seville. Several authors much later than its foundation say that it was built on the site that would have been occupied by the family house of San Isidoro during the Visigothic period. Naturally, absolutely nothing could be verified about these statements.

History

We do know that its construction must have begun in the first third of the 14th century, since the cover on the Epistle side is closely linked to that on the side of the Gospel of Saint Anne of Triana, for which the chronology is documented. In this way, both would be among the oldest churches in the city. Furthermore, the urban area in which it is located is the highest with respect to the river and, therefore, the one with the oldest settlement. The forum of Roman Hispalis has traditionally been located in its vicinity, although it is true that without any archaeological basis.

Since the Christian conquest, wealthy families from the city settled in this area and merchants of the most diverse origins settled there from the 16th century onwards. In this way, San Isidoro will be a "rich" parish and this has an inevitable reflection in the architecture and ornament of the temple.

The original 14th century building was notably altered between the 16th and 17th centuries, mainly in the presbytery area. Also in the 18th century, reforms were undertaken, such as the construction of the chapels on the left side.

As it has come down to us, San Isidoro is a rectangular church with three naves, a transept, a choir at the foot and side chapels, which are different in size, style and layout.

Outside

On the outside, the temple has three doors. The one located at the foot is very simple, in the Mudejar style. It consists of a slightly pointed arch framed by an alfiz. Apparently, the arch was initially horseshoe-shaped and was "simplified" to adopt its current appearance sometime between the 16th and 18th centuries.

The door that opens to the left side is the most recent, added in the 18th century in a neoclassical style. It is lintel, with two pilasters supporting a simple entablature. Next to it, we find the most ornamentally rich façade fragment in this church. This is the exterior part of the sacramental chapel, added as we said in the 18th century, which in some way functions as a separate façade. It is made of exposed brick, with a baroque style with very classic lines, and stands out for its reddish color, different from the rest of the temple. It is topped by a triangular pediment and in the center of the wall there is a lobed medallion with an allegorical scene of the “Adoration of the Holy Sacrament”.

Right at the other end, on the Epistle side, the other door opens, dated to the 14th century. It presents the classic forms of the Sevillian Gothic-Mudejar doorways. It consists of a pointed arch with archivolts, the two outermost ones at the top being decorated with geometric motifs: one with saw teeth and the other with diamond points. It is framed by a double alfiz, the first triangular and a larger square one.

At the apex of the triangular alfiz we find a sculpted star of David or Solomon, historically linked to the Hebrew religion. It is the only church in Seville in which we can see this element, which has been the subject of the most diverse interpretations. However, the truth is that this six-pointed star is a symbol that appears quite frequently in medieval religious buildings, apparently as an element of protection. In an article about this cover, Rafael Cómez tells us that "with a talismanic meaning and a spell against the forces of evil, the six-pointed star, inscribed in a circle, must have been made, which is shown to us on the cover of the nave of the Epistle. ".

Above this door, a bell tower was built much later, and already in the Baroque style, which preserves the 18th century tiles depicting Saint Isidore and Saint Leandro.

Inside

Inside, the naves are divided by pointed brick arches that rest on cruciform pillars. The roofs are wooden coffered ceilings in the Mudejar style, with the central trough shaped and the side ones hanging. As an exception, the transept is covered with a hemispherical dome on pendentives in its center and with barrel vaults on each of its sides.

The main altarpiece is mainly made up of an excellent canvas that represents the "Transit of San Isidoro", a work by Juan de Roelas from 1613. The frame-altarpiece that houses it is later; It was made around 1752 by Felipe del Castillo. The paintings in the vaults date from the mid-18th century and have been related to the work of Juan de Espinal. They represent fake architectures in which San Fernando and San Hermenegildo are framed.

To the left of the main chapel, at the head of the Gospel nave, is the Maestres chapel, which has an interesting tiled plinth original from the 17th century. A 19th-century neoclassical altarpiece houses the image of the Christ of the Blood, a moving Gothic carving from the mid-14th century. It is the oldest Crucified of those preserved in Seville, comparable only to the Christ of the Million in the Cathedral.

Just on the other side of the main altar, at the head of the Epistle nave, is the Villampando chapel, from the beginning of the 17th century, the date in which the tile plinths and the grille that closes it were made. It is presided over by a baroque altarpiece dedicated to Saint Albert.

On the wall of this same nave there is another baroque altarpiece, this time from the mid-18th century. In its center, an image of Saint Joseph from the same period, the work of José Montes de Oca.

On this right side the church has a single chapel, dedicated to the Virgin of Health. It is the most clearly Mudejar style. It has a hemispherical vault, decorated with geometric motifs and set on squinches. The image of the Virgin has been dated to the beginning of the 16th century, with a transitional style between Gothic and Renaissance. She is full size, although she is generally presented dressed in the baroque style.

On the other side of the church, in the Gospel nave, next to the entrance is the Chapel of Our Father Jesus of the Three Falls, the titular image of the brotherhood based in this church that processions every Good Friday. The Christ is a carving by Alonso Martínez from around 1667. The Virgin of Loreto is the image that accompanies him in this chapel and on his processional exit. It is an anonymous dressing room from the 18th century, although deeply renovated by Sebastián Santos in the mid-20th century. Although it is not found in this chapel, the brotherhood has another image of great value. This is the Cyrenean who helps Jesus with the cross on his path. It is a magnificent carving from 1687 by Francisco Antonio Gijón, an illustrious name in the history of Sevillian art, forever linked to the overwhelming "Puppy" of Triana. The Cirineo of San Isidoro is considered one of the best "secondary" carvings of Holy Week in the city and is generally located in the Epistle nave, close to the entrance.

The most prominent chapel of the church, and one of the most notable in the Sevillian baroque, is the sacramental chapel. It has its origins in the 16th century, the date on which the gate that closes it is dated, although as it has come down to us it is a work from the 18th century.

Above the access to the chapel there is a canvas with the "Allegory of the Eucharist", an interesting work attributed to Lucas Valdés. Once inside, the walls are covered with a series of canvases, mainly with themes related to the Eucharist, such as "The Transfer of the Ark of the Covenant" or "The Delivery of the Propitiation Bread", works also linked to the style by Lucas Valdes.

The cornices and upper part of the walls have a profuse decoration of plasterwork, which reproduces plant and architectural motifs, such as Solomonic columns.

But the element that attracts most attention in the chapel is its spectacular altarpiece, one of the most exuberant examples of Sevillian altarpieces. It is a work by Jerónimo Balbás and Pedro Duque Cornejo, made at the beginning of the 18th century by order of Juan Bautista Melcampo, a merchant of Flemish origin buried in the same chapel. The decorative profusion is such that it is difficult to distinguish the architectural structure. Countless child and youth angels intermingle with vegetal motifs, garlands, stipes and Solomonic columns in a motley and dazzling ensemble.

In the central niche, the Virgin of the Snows is venerated, a seated image that reproduces the scheme of the "Fernandine" Virgins, such as that of the Kings of the Cathedral or that of the Waters of El Salvador. However, it seems that that of San Isidoro is later, at least from the 16th century. On both sides are San Sebastián and San Roque.

In the center of the second body of the altarpiece there is a Child Jesus with the style of Juan Martínez Montañés. On his sides, Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and above him the figure of God the Father appears from a medallion in an attitude of blessing.

HOSPITAL DE LA CARIDAD (CHARITY HOSPITAL)

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The Hospital de la Caridad is the headquarters of the brotherhood of Santa Caridad, whose purpose is to assist sick people with few resources. It was founded in the 15th century and still carries out valuable healthcare work in Seville today. The architectural complex that has survived to us is mostly dated to the 17th century.

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HISTORY

In its origins, the brotherhood was mainly dedicated to paying for the burial of those executed and drowned in the river, functions that expanded over time, increasingly focused on assisting the sick without resources. In the 16th century it is known that they had their headquarters in a small chapel dedicated to Saint George, which was in the same location as the current temple.

It is a space that was part of the old Royal Shipyards of Seville, an immense area of seventeen ships dedicated since the 13th century to the construction, repair and storage of ships. 

In the middle of the 17th century, it was decided to replace the original chapel with a new church and the adjacent construction of a large hospital to care for the sick. For this, the space of three of the ships of the old shipyards was given to them.

The works began in 1645 under the direction of Pedro Sánchez Falconete and received a notable boost when Miguel de Mañara entered the brotherhood, who would be elected elder brother in 1663. 

Mañara was a wealthy Sevillian merchant who found meaning in his life in Santa Caridad after the death of his wife. Various testimonies from the time, including some references from himself, speak of him leading a very disorderly life in his youth, which is why since the 19th century he has been linked to the figure of Don Juan Tenorio, the most universal literary archetype. from among those who emerged in Seville. Tradition has wanted to see in Miguel de Mañara the character on which Tenorio is based, although currently we know that neither the facts of his biography nor his chronology allow us to support this statement.

What is certain is that his arrival to the leadership of the brotherhood was a great boost for it, managing to attract large sums of money donated by the best-placed families in the city, among which Mañara was used to moving. 

The Hospital complex consists of two enormous elongated rooms for caring for the sick, more than 40 meters long, which run perpendicular to Temprado Street. Before them, a rectangular porticoed patio opens, divided in two by a gallery in the center. To the left, and also perpendicular to the street, is the church, with a single nave. It has its main façade at the foot and a side access from the patio.

HOSPITAL

On the outside, the only part that has decoration is the one that corresponds to the church. The rest of the façade is very austere, with hardly any decoration, with the exception of the two pilasters that flank the main door and that support the projection of a small balcony.

After a small hall, you access the first of the two patios, separated only by the passage supported by a gallery of columns that we have mentioned. In all probability they were designed by the great architect of the Sevillian baroque, Leonardo de Figueroa, who is known to have been master builder of La Caridad since 1679.

Both have porticoes on three sides, with the exception of the one that faces the large naves of the hospital. They do so through semicircular arches supported by Tuscan marble columns on the first floor. The second floor is closed, although large protected windows with a small balcony open to the patio, coinciding in location with the arches on the ground floor.

In the center of each patio we find two monumental fountains with allegorical representations of Faith and Charity. They were made in Genoa and it is documented that he commissioned them for this hospital in 1682. 

On the walls of the patio you can admire a set of seven tile panels in shades of blue on white that represent various scenes from the Old and New Testament. They were made in Holland, probably in Delft, at the end of the 17th century and arrived at the hospital as a donation from the Descalzos convent of Cádiz.

CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE

Facade

The hospital temple maintained the dedication of Saint George, to whom the primitive chapel around which the brotherhood was founded was dedicated. Its façade stands out from the rest of the hospital for its height and decorative richness, despite its relative simplicity, especially in comparison with the decorative exuberance that we will see inside.

It is arranged following the logic of an altarpiece, articulated on two levels and the architectural elements, such as pilasters and pediments, constitute the main decorative element. Despite its classic lines, it is a façade of great originality, achieved through the combination of white and ocher surfaces, between which five ceramic panels in blue and white tones are arranged.

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In the first body, the access door is framed by two pairs of attached columns that support an entablature with a split curved pediment. Between each pair of columns are the baked clay figures of San Fernando and San Hermenegildo, the two saints traditionally considered "patrons" of the Spanish Crown.

On the second level, a balcony framed by Corinthian pilasters opens in the center of the split pediment of the first floor. Above it, a niche houses the central ceramic panel, with an allegorical representation of Charity.

On each side are two other ceramic panels, the lower ones finished with a curved pediment and the upper ones with a straight pediment. On the first level, "Saint Michael against the dragon" and "James defeating the Saracens" are represented. Saint George is the patron saint of the hospital in memory of the chapel around which it was founded and Santiago is the patron saint of Spain. They are arranged here symbolizing saints who "fight against the forces of evil to impose the Christian faith." Above them, the ceramic panels of Faith and Hope, which with that of Charity that we mentioned before complete the three theological virtues. Traditionally, the design of the five ceramic panels has been attributed to Murillo, although due to its formal characteristics it does not seem that this statement has a historical basis.

The façade is topped by a central attic with a straight pediment and two lateral brick pinnacles. These forms are quite common in the Sevillian baroque and their similarity to works by Leonardo de Figueroa has led to at least the completion of the façade being attributed to him.

Attached to the head of the left side of the church is a small bell tower, not very visible given its location. It was built in 1721 under the direction of Leonardo de Figueroa. In it, the architectural elements described on the temple's façade are repeated, on a smaller scale. The original spire is striking, abundant in sculptural and ceramic decoration despite its small dimensions.

Inside

The church has a very simple, rectangular plan, with a single nave and a flat head. It is covered by a barrel vault, except in the central space before the presbytery, which is covered with a hemispherical vault on pendentives, as wide as the nave itself. At the foot there is a high choir, supported by three arches on Tuscan marble columns, the lateral ones semicircular and the central one lowered and wider.

The main entrance is located at the foot and upon entering the church we realize that we are facing one of the most exceptional complexes in the history of art in the city. It is not only a collection of singular works of great merit, but together they form a homogeneous and perfectly coherent discourse with the Baroque world in which it was created.

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Iconographic program: works of mercy as a path to salvation

The iconographic program was designed by Miguel de Mañara, with the aim of transmitting the idea of the transience of life and the irrelevance of achievements and material possessions when the last moment comes. It tells us that we are all headed to the same end and only the practice of Christian virtues, among them charity, guarantees the salvation of the soul. The aim was to stir the conscience of anyone who entered the church and promote donations through fear of eternal damnation.

The speech begins with the two canvases that are on both sides as soon as you enter the temple, on two access doors to side rooms. These are two works by Juan Valdés Leal from 1672 that have death as their central theme. They are of such quality that it is not unreasonable to define them as the best works with this theme in the entire history of universal art.

The first is titled "In ictu oculi", which could be translated as "in the blink of an eye". It shows a skeleton holding a scythe in one hand while with the other he extinguishes the flame of a candle, symbolizing that it takes only an instant to go from life to death. Next to him, a series of symbols of earthly glory are piled up: luxurious clothing, a royal crown, a papal tiara, colorful books, scepters, armor... None of all that matters when the final moment comes, death is carried away without respects both for a supreme pontiff and for a humble peasant.

The second painting, located directly opposite, is titled "Finis Gloriae Mundi" ("The End of the Glory of the World"), as can be read on a cloth banner that appears in the foreground. It is set inside a tomb and we see the decomposed corpses of a bishop and a knight of the Order of Calatrava. Despite the deterioration, both show off their richest clothing. From the top, the arm of Christ emerges, recognizable by the stigma in the palm of the hand, holding a scale with two plates. One of them reads "NI MÁS" (no more) and the symbols of the capital sins rest on it. The other reads "NI MENOS" (no less) and holds the symbols of Christian virtues. The message is clear, when the final moment comes, titles, honors or material possessions are of no use, only good and bad actions will be taken into account. He is thus encouraged to do everything possible so that, when that moment comes, the plate of virtues outweighs that of sins.

El siguiente hito de esta narración consiste en mostrar el camino a la salvación a través de las obras de misericordia, que nos permiten ejercer la caridad ayudando al prójimo. La doctrina católica define siete obras de misericordia “corporales” y se encargó a Murillo la realización de seis lienzos para representar las seis primeras. Esto es debido a que la séptima, “enterrar a los difuntos”, quedaría representada por el retablo mayor del que hablaremos más tarde.

Hoy las podemos contemplar a ambos lados, en la parte superior de los muros de la nave y del ante-presbiterio. Sin embargo, las cuatro obras originales que se encontraban más cercanas a la entrada fueron sustraídas en 1810 durante la ocupación napoleónica de la ciudad y en la actualidad se hallan repartidas por diversos museos del mundo. De hecho, la talla de los museos en los que se encuentran es un buen indicativo de la calidad artística del conjunto original. Hoy se encuentran dispersas entre la National Gallery de Londres, el Museo de Ottawa, la National Gallery de Washington y el Museo del Ermitage en San Petersburgo.

Desde 2007 se pueden contemplar en la iglesia una serie de copias fidedignas realizadas a mano. En el muro de la derecha se sitúan "La curación del paralítico", que alude a la práctica de atender a los enfermos, y "San Pedro liberado por el ángel", que hace referencia a la obligación de redimir al cautivo. Justo enfrente, en el muro de la izquierda, encontramos "El regreso del hijo pródigo", en referencia al mandato de vestir al desnudo, y "Abraham y los tres ángeles", que alude a la obligación de dar posada al peregrino.

El ciclo dedicado a las obras de misericordia continúa con los dos grandes lienzos situados en la parte superior de los muros del ante-presbiterio. Afortunadamente, en este caso sí que estamos ante los originales de Murillo. A la izquierda vemos a "Moisés haciendo brotar el agua de la Roca", que hace alusión a la obligación de dar de beber al sediento. Justo enfrente, se representa "La multiplicación de los panes y los peces", en referencia al mandato de dar de comer al hambriento.

Main altarpiece

As we said, the seventh work of mercy, "burying the dead", is represented in the church by the central scene of the main altarpiece. It is a set made by Bernardo Simón de Pineda between 1670 and 1674, making up one of the most outstanding altarpieces of all of the Spanish Baroque. 

It is divided into three streets delimited by four beautiful Solomonic columns. The entire center is occupied by the scene of the "Holy Burial of Christ", made by Pedro Roldán, who here executes one of the most accomplished works of his long career. He manages to transmit through the gestures and postures of the characters a great compositional harmony that does not detract from the drama of the scene represented. In the background, and in low relief, there is a dark Mount Calvary, which in a very effective way conveys the sensation of depth and compositional unity of the entire complex.

In the side streets there are San Jorge and San Roque and in the attic the allegories of the three theological virtues appear, from left to right: faith, charity and hope. The entire altarpiece is dotted with a large number of cherubs, child and youth angels, sometimes acting as caryatids, which help to emphasize the sensations of dynamism and decorative exuberance. Crowning the entire complex, a group of four angels hold a cartouche with the name of God in Hebrew.

Other altarpieces and canvases

As we said, the church of the Hospital de la Caridad is distinguished by the high quality of its altarpieces and paintings. The four side altarpieces of the church, like the main altarpiece, are the work of Bernardo Simón de Pineda, a sculptor from Antequera who is among the best sculptors of altarpieces of the 17th century in Seville. The most outstanding canvases are, like those already mentioned about the works of mercy, the work of the brilliant Murillo, who created one of his most outstanding pictorial sets for this church.

On the left wall, starting from the entrance, there is the canvas of "Saint John of God carrying a sick man", a work by Murillo from around 1662. It is a beautiful canvas that shows an angel helping the saint in his work. assistance to the sick, in a topic closely linked to the function of the hospital.

Next is an altarpiece that frames the canvas of "The Annunciation", also a masterful work by Murillo dated around 1670.

Between the nave and the ante-presbytery there is an iron and wood pulpit that stands out for its beautiful design. Culminating it, an allegory of Pedro Roldán's Charity appears and a curious monstrous animal is represented holding the ladder. It is a representation of the conquered evil sculpted by Bernardo Simón de Pineda.

Next, in the ante-presbytery, there is the altarpiece of the Virgin of Charity, presided over by an anonymous image of the Virgin and Child dated to the beginning of the 16th century, in which certain features of the late Gothic period are still noticeable. . In the attic, there is a small canvas by Murillo with the "Salvador Niño", from around 1671, which has been described as one of the most beautiful children's prototypes of his production.

On the right wall, starting again from the foot of the church, we find a beautiful composition by Murillo that represents "Saint Elizabeth of Hungary caring for the stinging." It is dated 1672 and refers to the second obligation of the brotherhood, after that of burying the dead, which was to care for the sick.

Next we find the small relief of Ecce Homo, made in baked clay by the García brothers from Granada at the beginning of the 17th century.

The next altarpiece is that of the Christ of Charity, presided over by a work by Pedro Roldán that shows Christ kneeling, looking towards heaven, praying in the moments before the Crucifixion. It stands out for its moving face, one of the most accomplished in the sculptor's career.

Already in the ante-presbytery, there is the altarpiece of San José, with an image of the saint carved by Cristóbal Ramos in 1782. The chronological difference with the altarpiece, which is a century earlier, and the small size of the sculpture with respect to the niche, show that it is not the work originally intended for this place. Historically, this altarpiece was occupied by a beautiful carving of Saint Joseph from the 17th century from the circle of Pedro Roldán, which is currently located in one of the Hospital's rooms, the so-called Sala de San José. 

In the attic you can admire another of the jewels that Murillo left in this church, a small canvas of "San Juan Bautista Niño", of extraordinary and tender beauty.

Tempera paintings on the dome and walls

Between 1678 and 1682, Juan Valdés Leal was in charge of the pictorial decoration of the upper part of the walls and the dome of the antepresbytery. 

Under the arches that support the dome, flanking the windows, are represented four "alms" saints, whose holiness derives from their assistance to the poor: Saint Martin, Saint Thomas of Villanueva, Saint Julian and Saint John Almoner. The four Evangelists are represented on the pendentives and on the dome's gallons there are eight beautiful angels carrying symbols of the Passion of Christ.

If we look up when leaving the church we can admire one last masterpiece of this church. This is the tempera painting "The Exaltation of the Cross" that Valdés Leal made in 1685 on the semicircular wall under the vault, just above the high choir. His message comes to complete the iconographic discourse that we have been observing in the church. The central idea is the statement derived from the Gospel that no rich man will enter through the gate of the kingdom of heaven. The explanation of the episode represented is quite complex. It is based on a passage from the Golden Legend that Enrique Valdivieso describes like this in the "Guide to Holy Charity":

...tells the moment in which the emperor of Byzantium, Heraclius, after having rescued the Cross of Christ that the Persian monarch Khosrau had stolen from Jerusalem, appears before the gates of this city with the intention of entering triumphantly into she. At that moment several prodigies occurred, first noticing that thick blocks of stone began to fall from the wall and the gates of the city, interrupting the passage of the procession. Also at that moment an angel appeared to the emperor Heraclius and his entourage, telling him that through that door Christ had entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey and accompanied by his humble procession of Apostles, and that he could not make ostentation by entering with his imperial court. dressed in luxurious finery.

The angel's clear and direct message was immediately understood by the emperor Heraclius and therefore he proceeded to take off his clothing, a gesture that his entire procession imitated, as he prepared to enter the city with modesty in his attire and inner recollection; In this way they managed to enter Jerusalem and return the Cross of Christ. The plot of this story, reflected in the painting, points out that in the same way that Heraclius cannot enter the city clothed in his pomp and pageantry, no one will enter Paradise with his riches.

SANTA MARÍA LA BLANCA

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The church of Santa María la Blanca, in the San Bartolomé neighbourhood, is a precious jewel of Sevillian Baroque. It is known that a mosque was built in this same place during the Islamic period and some authors have pointed out that this mosque could have been built on top of a previous Christian church from the Visigothic period. The columns that today frame the small side doorway of the church on Calle Archeros come from this primitive Visigothic temple, although this possibility has not been archaeologically verified.

What is known with certainty is that the mosque was transformed into a synagogue after the Christian conquest of the city. By order of Alfonso X, a Jewish quarter was established in this area of the city, which approximately occupied the area of the current neighborhoods of Santa Cruz and San Bartolomé. In Santa María Blanca one of the three or four main synagogues of the Jewish quarter would be found.

For a long time it was thought that the current temple was completely built in the 17th century, without conserving anything from the previous building. However, various archaeological and restoration work on the building in recent decades have refuted this claim. Apparently, although the baroque reform of which we have spoken completely masked any decorative aspect of the primitive temple, the truth is that the floor plan of the current church and that of the synagogue on which it stands coincide in essentials. And apparently a good part of the walls and arches of the current church also correspond to the primitive work, although their aesthetics were intensely altered by the Baroque reform. This is how the architect Óscar Gil Delgado explains it in “A unveiled synagogue in Seville: architectural study” (2011):

“These prescriptions clearly imply that the walls of the naves of the church were not demolished and that, for this reason, the Mudejar blind arches are found today in the coronation of said walls. No new arches were turned over the new "red jasper" columns, the arches of the central nave were simply lowered, the old columns, which had no stylistic relationship with the new work, were removed and the new ones were placed. Surely the arches of the nave are the same as those of the "Mudejar" synagogue, trimmed, rounded and covered with plaster mouldings, according to the new taste”.

The synagogue would be transformed into a Christian church at the end of the 14th century, after the violent assault on the Jewish quarter in 1391. It would be at this time that the Gothic doorway would be added, which is still accessed today. However, the church that has come down to us responds mostly to the project for its remodeling promoted by Canon Justino de Neve. The works began in 1662 under the direction of Pedro Sánchez Falconete, who undertook the complete remodeling of which resulted in the baroque temple that we can see today.

It is a church with three naves divided by ten Tuscan columns that support semicircular arches. It is accessed through a tower entrance that opens at the foot of the central nave and has a rectangular floor plan. This is altered by a protruding front, in which the main altar is located, and by three side chapels: the baptismal one at the foot of the temple, the sacramental one on the epistle side, and that of San Juan Nepomuceno on the of the gospel of the head.

The main façade of the church is occupied on its first level by a Gothic portal, with the classic characteristics that this type presents in Sevillian churches: archivolts and diamond-tipped decoration. On this body, you can read the Latin inscription "HAC EST DOMUS DEI ET PORTA COELI 1741" (This is the House of God and the Gate of Heaven). The year 1741 refers to the date of certain minor reforms undertaken in the church, when the façade was also embellished and the inscription was added.

On this first level, in a second body, there are two long windows topped by semicircular arches. Above them is a classic belfry with two levels and behind openings for the bells.

The church has a much simpler front facing Archeros street. It is a simple semicircular arch supported by two stone columns with Late Antique capitals, clearly carried and probably used successively in the preceding mosque and synagogue.

Inside, what most attracts our attention is its intense decorative program, in which every last corner is covered with a combination of plasterwork, painting and sculpture, until configuring a space that as a whole appears as the clearest definition of the famous "horror vacui" of the baroque.

Justino de Neve entrusted the pictorial decoration to Murillo himself and the elaboration of the plasterwork to the brothers Pedro and Borja Roldán. The work begins shortly after the Pontifical Brief of Alexander VII of 1661 was promulgated, in which the devotion and cult of the Immaculate Conception was reaffirmed.

In this way, the iconographic program is as a whole an exaltation of the Eucharist and the Immaculate Virgin, as can be seen as soon as you enter the arch that supports the choir, where it reads Without original sin in the first moment of its being. . Murillo intervened with the realization of five canvases, of which only the oldest, "La Santa Cena", is preserved in the church. The others came to complete the iconographic program we have been talking about, with the "Immaculate Conception", "The Triumph of Faith" and two canvases that narrated the history of the foundation in Rome of the basilica of Santa María de las Nieves, a dedication to which is also dedicated to our church.

Today magnificent copies of the originals can be seen in situ, which unfortunately were the object of the savage looting suffered by the city with the arrival of Napoleonic troops in 1810. Among the stolen works were the four that he stole from Santa María la Blanca . Most of what was looted never returned to the city and is now scattered in museums around the world.

The main altarpiece of the church is Baroque and dates back to around 1690. Its main architectural element is two large Solomonic columns, so characteristic of the Sevillian altarpieces of the 17th century. In the central niche is the titular image of the temple, Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, a dress image made by Juan de Astorga at the beginning of the 19th century.

At the lateral ends, the eighteenth-century carvings of Saints Justa and Rufina, patron saints of the city, are located on corbels. In the center of the attic there is another niche that currently houses a rich golden cross, at the foot of which you can see a representation of the Giralda.

At the head of the right hand side we find a Baroque altarpiece from the mid-18th century presided over by the image of "San Pedro en la Cátedra". We see the saint with all the attributes that identify him as the first pontiff of the Church, framed by two child angels holding two of his attributes: the patriarchal cross of the popes and the keys of the Church.

On the wall on this same right side there is a neoclassical altarpiece from the 19th century, presided over by an imposing ensemble of the Trinity. It is the work of the Valencian-born sculptor Blas Molner. On the bench is an interesting small-format Pietà dating from the 18th century.

Also on the right is the sacramental chapel, presided over by an 18th century altarpiece that generally has an image of Saint Joseph from the 17th century in its central niche. On both sides and on a smaller scale, we find the images of Santa Ana and San Joaquin. The altarpiece bench houses a touching "Nativity Scene" made in terracotta, attributed to Cristóbal Ramos.

In the same chapel there is an altarpiece made up of pieces from a previous retable that had been readapted. It houses the images that originally belonged to the old brotherhood of the Sacred Lavatory, which disappeared in 1672 when it merged with the Sacramental of this church. In the center, the Cristo del Mandato, a work in pulp wood, made by Diego García de Santa Ana at the end of the 16th century. On both sides, Nuestra Señora del Pópulo and San Juan, both anonymous images from the 17th century.

In the center of the wall of the left nave (or of the Gospel) we find a valuable original altarpiece from the 16th century, although quite reformed in the 18th century. It frames a large canvas with the representation of "La Piedad", although it has also been identified at times as a "Descent". It is one of the most outstanding artistic pieces in the church, the last known work of Luis de Vargas, one of the most outstanding painters of the Renaissance in Seville. It is dated 1564 and the altarpiece is framed by paintings of San Juan Bautista and San Francisco, also works by Luis de Vargas. At the foot of the altarpiece you can see the tombstone of the family that financed it.

On the same wall is the only work by Murillo that has been preserved in the church: "La Santa Cena", dated 1650. It is possible that the French did not take it away because the truth is that the work is quite far from the traditional painter's style. Here Murillo uses a powerful chiaroscuro, which makes the canvas a tenebrist painting, with the light of the candles as the only illumination on the faces.

On the same wall we find another altarpiece with a modern Sacred Heart and at the bottom of this Gospel nave there is a small chapel behind a grill. In it there is a Baroque altarpiece from the 17th century, with a central image of San Juan Nepomuceno from the same period. On the walls of the chapel there is an interesting "Ecce Homo" from the 16th century, made by an anonymous follower of Luis de Morales. In front of him, an "Annunciation" by Domingo Martínez from the first third of the 18th century.

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HOSPITAL OF THE VENERABLE PRIESTS

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The Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes was built at the end of the 17th century at the request of Canon Justino de Neve, as a place of care and shelter for elderly and underprivileged clergy. Its works began in 1675 under the direction of Juan Domínguez, but in 1687 Leonardo de Figueroa, the most outstanding architect of the Sevillian Baroque, took charge of the project. He would direct the works until the conclusion of the Hospital around 1697.

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Currently, the Hospital is the headquarters of the Focus Foundation and the Velázquez Center is located in its rooms, dedicated to the dissemination of the Sevillian painter, exhibiting some works of his authorship along with some magnificent pieces by contemporary authors, such as Murillo, Valdés Leal , Juan Martínez Montañés and Pedro Roldán, among others.

 

Cloister

The building is articulated around a main patio surrounded by a porticoed gallery with marble columns that support semicircular arches on the first floor. The upper galleries are closed and open onto the patio through large windows with wrought iron balconies, framed between reddish brick pilasters.

In the center of the patio, its original fountain stands out, which is located at a lower level with respect to the rest of the patio. It is accessed through decreasing concentric steps. The explanation of its location is due to the difficulty in the existing water supply in Seville in the past. This location allowed water to enter directly and safely inside. The tiles in the fountain are original from the period, forming a multitude of geometric shapes in blue and yellow tones, very characteristic of Andalusian heritage ceramic art.

 

Church

The design of the church was drawn up by Leonardo de Figueroa, the great architect of the Sevillian Baroque, to whom such notable works in the city are due as the Church of La Magdalena, El Salvador or San Luis de los Franceses.

In the case of Los Venerables, the temple responds to the traditional form of Sevillian churches from the second half of the 17th century, with a single nave covered by a barrel vault with lunettes and transverse arches. In the presbytery there is a transept, slightly marked on the floor plan of the building, covered in the center by a semicircular vault, ribbed and without drum. This dome is not visible from the outside, as it is covered by a hipped roof.

Although the structure of the church is quite simple, its profuse pictorial decoration based on frescoes, as well as the richness of the works of art that it treasures, make it one of the most important ensembles of the Sevillian Baroque.

The paintings in the church respond to the design of the great Sevillian painter Valdés Leal, although his advanced age meant that a large part of them were executed by his son, Lucas Valdés. In general, those located in the presbytery, in the area closest to the main altar, are considered to respond to the direct execution of Valdés Leal, while those in the rest of the church would have been undertaken by his son Lucas Valdés, although following the design created by his father.

The technique used for the execution of all of them is that of tempera painting, which had already been used by Valdés Leal at the Hospital de la Caridad, with touches in oil.

The iconographic program focuses on the exaltation of the priesthood, in relation to the purpose for which the Hospital de los Venerables was built, as a residence for elderly priests. We also find numerous references to San Pedro and San Fernando, as titular saints of the temple. We see that a very characteristic pictorial effect of Baroque art is used profusely: trompe l'oeil. It is about recreating scenes in illusory spaces extended beyond the architectural space that contains them. Thus, a reality full of light and movement is created, through garlands, fruit sets, vases, jaspers and ovals. Through painting, other materials are simulated, such as tapestries, metal medallions or stone sculptures.

A monograph would be necessary to describe the set of paintings in the church of Los Venerables. As an example, we can cite those located in the vault of the presbytery, above the main altar. There Valdés Leal located a 'Christ the Savior, triumphant of his Passion and Death', represented with great success in the treatment of perspective. He is framed by a triangle, symbol of the Trinity and crowned by the name of Christ in Hebrew. The lower vertex of the triangle falls on the center of a circle, which symbolizes eternity. Located at the feet of Christ, open, the Book of the seven seals, in an image that resembles that of the apocalyptic Lamb. At the sides of Christ, two elderly priests dressed in pontifical adore and incense his body. From the elements of martyrdom located at the feet of these characters, an inverted cross and an anchor, it can be deduced that they are Saint Peter and Saint Clement Pope, which is confirmed by the papal iconographic symbols located in the corners. The allegories of Charity and Humility close this set. These are two virtues that must adorn the priesthood.

The current main altarpiece has nothing to do with the first one that was built in the church; although if it conserves some works that conformed it. The altarpiece that we see today was completed in 1889, being the work of Vicente Ruiz. This is not a particularly fortunate altarpiece in its composition, taking advantage of abundant material from carrying in its structure, especially from the previous altarpiece.

In the main body is the large canvas of the 'Last Supper', which, like the tabernacle, belonged to the old altarpiece. This work, previously considered to be from the first third of the 17th century, belongs to the production of Lucas Valdés. It has a style that is quite different from traditional Sevillian painting, with a rather archaic composition and a gloomy atmosphere.

The upper body of the altarpiece contains three niches with pictorial representations. In the central one there is a canvas with 'The Apotheosis of San Fernando', a work also by Lucas Valdés, although in this case of great quality. Fernando III appears on a pedestal next to the weapons and clothing of the defeated Muslims. San Fernando is flanked by two young matrons who can be identified with Seville liberated and La Paz. On the sides, in the smaller niches, there are two canvases of San Clemente and San Isidoro, made by the Sevillian painter Virgilio Mattoni in 1891.

On the walls of the church, among its rich tempera decoration, there are a series of altarpieces made between the 17th and 19th centuries, which stand out more than for their intrinsic quality because they house a series of interesting sculptural and pictorial works.

To mention just a few, we can talk about two of the altarpieces on the right side. One dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, presided over by a canvas by José María Ruiz y García, from the beginning of the 17th century, or the one dedicated to Saint Joseph, with a beautiful sculpture from the end of the same century and by an anonymous author.

On both sides of the main door, at the foot of the temple, there are two magnificent seated works that represent San Clemente and San Fernando. They are works by Pedro Roldán from 1698 and both were polychromed by Lucas Valdés.

 

Sacristy

From the right side of the transept there is access to a small sacristy that houses one of the jewels of this Hospital. It is about the paintings of the vault, one of the masterpieces of Valdés Leal. The painter creates an imaginary architecture here, in which angels descend under the balustrade carrying the Holy Cross. Despite the small dimensions of the space, the author manages to convey the sensation of three-dimensionality, to which is added the enormous skill in representing the different textures.

 

Velazquez Center

The Velázquez Center, promoted by the Focus Foundation, exhibits in some of the rooms of the Hospital practically the only works of the great Sevillian painter that can be seen in his hometown.

Among them, we find an Immaculate Conception that constitutes one of the first known works of Velázquez, who already showed here his enormous capacities despite his young age. The Virgin appears represented following the patterns dictated by her father-in-law Francisco Pacheco and stands out for the great naturalism of the image. Next to it, by the same author are an 'Imposition of the chasuble on San Ildefonso' and a beautiful and masterful 'Santa Rufina', which is perhaps the most emblematic work of the Hospital de los Venerables.

In addition to Velázquez's works, there is a selection of high-quality paintings by contemporary artists. Authors such as Francisco Pacheco, Zurbarán or Murillo are represented, of whom we can admire a magnificent 'Penitent Saint Peter', originally painted for the church of this hospital. The work was stolen by the French during the Napoleonic invasion and returned to Seville in 2014 thanks to its acquisition by the Focus Foundation.

In the same room there is also a View of Seville by an anonymous author and dated around 1660. It is one of the most beautiful historical panoramic views of the city among those that have survived to this day.

Added to the pictorial works are two sculptures by Martínez Montañés, one of the great masters of the Sevillian Baroque, of which an Immaculate Conception and a youthful Saint John the Baptist are on display. Both come to complete the extraordinary artistic collection of the 17th century exhibited in the Hospital.

 

Upper gallery of the Cloister

In the upper gallery of the cloister, a series of pictorial works are exhibited, mainly also from the 17th century, focused on biblical and landscape themes. Due to their historical value, those located leaving the stairs to the right can be highlighted. They are two works by Lucas Valdés, related to the history of the Hospital de los Venerables. Scenes of assistance to poor priests are represented by valuable gentlemen, who humbly provide this assistance service. Contrast, as can be seen, the presence of high lineage dresses with the threadbare smocks of the elderly priests who seek lodging and care within the walls of the hospital.

 

Old Nursing

An interesting collection of contemporary painting from the 20th and 21st centuries has been located in the rooms of the primitive infirmary of the hospital.

In it, the works of the Sevillian artist Carmen Laffón stand out in the first place, with her sketches for the official poster of Holy Week, illustrating a detail of the passage of the popular Virgin of Candelaria. In addition, we can see her work Woman seated from behind.

Among other authors, we can also highlight the watercolors of the Murcian painter Ramón Gaya.

 

In general, it can be a collection that allows us to appreciate the new conception of art in our days, far removed from the baroque themes that are exhibited in the rest of the Hospital's dependencies.

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