Welcome to the Church of the Vera Cruz, where art and history merge in the majestic work of Joaquín de Churriguera. A baroque altarpiece, a dialogue between architecture, sculpture, and spirituality that resonates through the centuries.
The altarpiece of the Vera Cruz church in Salamanca, created by Joaquín de Churriguera between 1713 and 1714, represents a vibrant testimony of the Baroque style. This work of art stands as an exuberant compendium, where opulence manifests in its three sections delineated by powerful estípites and abundantly decorated Solomonic columns.
Each element in the altarpiece has a symbolic purpose, designed to capture attention and provoke spiritual reflection. Every visit is a new conversation, a new discovery of how the past continues to touch our lives today.
At the center of the altarpiece, from a camarín/transparent as its core, we contemplate the majestic figure of the Immaculate Conception by Gregorio Fernández, sculpted in 1620. This image, originally placed in this place of honor, exalts Mary’s purity.
Above it, in the attic, rises a monumental ensemble dedicated to the Exaltation of the Cross, a work attributed to the Salamancan sculptor José de Larra. The chapel, dedicated to the Vera Cruz, preserves a monumental reliquary – an exceptional work of goldsmithing – containing a fragment of the Lignum Crucis (a tiny splinter of the True Cross), brought from Rome in the 17th century.
The altar frontal contains 44 scenes of Christ’s Passion and episodes from the Virgin’s life, meticulously painted in oil on mirror and with tortoiseshell inlays.
This altarpiece not only captures the essence of tradition and the unique identity of the oldest brotherhood of Salamanca’s Holy Week, but also evokes a sense of reverence and admiration, enveloping the observer in an atmosphere of protective spirituality. In fact, it is the only chapel in the entire city that is owned by a brotherhood: the Illustrious Brotherhood of the Holy Cross of the Redeemer and the Most Pure Conception of the Virgin, His Mother.
HOURS
Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 am to 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
ACCESS
Free access
LOCATION
Campo de San Francisco, 7. 37002
PLAN DE SOSTENIBILIDAD TURÍSTICA DE SALAMANCA
