Church of La Purísima

In the heart of Salamanca, a city declared a World Heritage Site for its historical and cultural richness, stands a masterpiece of Baroque art: the altarpiece of the Church of La Purísima. This magnificent structure not only represents an architectural milestone but also a living testimony of fervent spirituality. Its altarpiece, the work of Cosimo Fanzago, constitutes a central piece that captures the essence of Italian Baroque on the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, all its elements were brought from Naples.

The convent of Las Agustinas and the church of La Purísima form a cloistered convent complex located in the historic center of Salamanca. It was declared a National Monument by Decree on April 15, 1935. The Church of La Purísima has a severe and imposing facade, a letter of introduction that anticipates the beauty and splendor that await inside. Each stone seems to tell a story, each architectural detail speaks of a past where devotion and art were masterfully intertwined.

The Monterrey family placed special emphasis on the construction of the church, taking advantage of their Neapolitan experience. Therefore, they commissioned the sculptor Cosimo Fanzago to create an altarpiece made of marble. The artist, originally from Clusone, Italy, and mainly active in Naples, brought with him the grandeur of Italian Baroque that is sublimely materialized in this work. Fanzago achieves a perfect symbiosis between sculpture, painting, and architecture.

As a curiosity, at the death of the Counts of Monterrey – he died in 1653 and his wife a year later – the altarpiece had not yet been placed. In fact, it wouldn’t be for a long time after, as it wasn’t until 1679 that the entire ensemble was completed and, later, in 1687 that the temple was consecrated and opened to the public.